Can kids fight in war under 18?

Human rights law declares 18 as the minimum legal age for recruitment and use of children in hostilities. Recruiting and using children under the age of 15 as soldiers is prohibited under international humanitarian law – treaty and custom – and is defined as a war crime by the International Criminal Court.

How old do you have to be to fight in the war?

The minimum age at which soldiers can be sent into battle is included in the 1977 First Protocol to the Geneva Conventions on International Humanitarian Law. It prohibits children who have not reached the age of 15 from taking ”direct part in hostilities. ”

What age is considered a child soldier?

18 years old
A child soldier is a human being less than 18 years old, recruited by an army or simply participating in an armed conflict. In certain societies, children are considered adults from the age of 14 or 15.

Why are child soldiers used in war?

Many children are forced to join military groups at a young age. Child soldiers are also easier to manipulate and force into conflict. Recruiters typically target children from troubled areas or conflict zones, likely accustomed to violence and with fewer educational or work opportunities.

Why do child soldiers get recruited?

Children become part of an armed force or group for various reasons. Some are abducted, threatened, coerced or manipulated by armed actors. Others are driven by poverty, compelled to generate income for their families. Still others associate themselves for survival or to protect their communities.

How do child soldiers get recruited?

Child soldiers are any children under the age of 18 who are recruited by a state or non-state armed group and used as fighters, cooks, suicide bombers, human shields, messengers, spies, or for sexual purposes.

Why are child soldiers recruited?

What happens to child soldiers when they grow up?

This article offers findings on the first longitudinal study of life outcomes for former child soldiers. The data show that, after 16 years, the vast majority of this group of former child soldiers have become productive, capable and caring adults. At the same time, none of them are truly free from their pasts.

Why do kids become child soldiers?

Children are most likely to become child soldiers if they are poor, separated from their families, displaced from their homes, living in a combat zone or have limited access to education. Children are sometimes forced to commit atrocities against their own family or neighbors.