A recent report from Save the Children International – a global membership organisation that aims to protect the rights of children worldwide - analyses in detail the severe risk of child recruitment by armed forces and groups around the world. In the anxious year of 2020, there was an increasing number of children living in areas of conflict (both state-based and non-state struggles), and the difficult access to humanitarian help, education, protection, and nutrition that a worldwide pandemic entails has put many children at serious risk.
How many children are in danger?
According to the data analysed, Save the Children International determined that, in 2020, one in six children in the world lived in a conflict area (which is around 452 million). Even though the number of conflicts in 2020 remained the same as the previous year, this represented an increase of 5% in comparison to 2019. Likewise, the number of children recruited to armed conflicts increased in 2020. Almost a thousand more children than in 2019 were recruited, “from approximately 7,800 to 8,600 children”. Moreover, this report provided unprecedented data on the number of children at risk of recruitment (meaning children (under the age of 18) who “live within 50km of one or more conflict events with at least one fatality” and at least one active conflict actor reported to have recruited children). The research estimated that children in 39 countries live at risk of recruitment, which entails the upsetting number of 337 million children living in a conflict zone.
Where are children being recruited?
The world regions with the highest percentage of children living in a conflict zone in 2020 are the Middle East (with 33% of children living in conflict areas), and Africa (19% of the child population of the continent live in troubled zones). In Asia, 13% of all children lived in battle zones in that same year. In Europe and the Americas, child recruitment is not as frequent as it is in other regions of the world. However, it is still a reality. In 2020, 2% of children were living in conflict areas, where child recruitment had been reported at least once. As far as the Americas are concerned, 8% of children were living in problematic territories and, therefore, at risk of being recruited.
What are recruited children doing?
Shockingly, there is a vast array of reasons why armed groups want to recruit children. Kids are vulnerable beings regarded as easy to manipulate. Being small, young, and unexpected to be found in such violent scenarios, recruited children are often required to carry out forward tasks such as spying, mine laying, and acting as suicide bombers (since they are less suspicious). At times, children are brought to the battlefield to cause shock on the opponents’ side and delay their attacks by a consequent reluctance to harm children (which is the case, for instance, in armed groups of the Democratic Republic of Congo). Save the Children International’s report also refers to sexual purposes as a possible motive for child recruitment (both girls and boys). This atrocious reality experienced by children globally is radically disruptive to every child’s life, health, and mental stability. Apart from the unconceivable and unutterable psychological effects, this outrage forcefully breaks their bonds with their family and community, leading to social divisions and stigmatisation of children.
Why are children susceptible to recruitment?
Save the Children International has found a strict connection between education and child recruitment. According to research, a child that is out of school is more vulnerable to recruitment. The pandemic had a noticeable impact since it fueled school closures and, therefore, in many countries with active violent conflicts, children became more and more vulnerable. Also, there is an evident lack of national/ international legal protection. Children are vulnerable not only for the obvious biological reasons but for the many problems they experience in their home regions: poverty, violence and abuse, marginalisation, presence of armed groups in the area, social divisions, harassment, and exclusion. These all influence a child's position in the community and hinder any possibility of avoiding coerced recruitment. The report also points out the “desire to defend family and community”, the “desire for revenge (...) for power, status, respect and adventure”, the “craving for belonging or purpose”, as factors playing a significant role in child recruitment since they increase children’s susceptibility to armed groups or forces.
How to prevent these violations on children’s rights?
In this report, Save the Children International presents their plan to safeguard children’s right to education and, consequently, protection and safety. Their program – Safe Schools – “engages children and communities to make sure schools are able to stay safely open for children throughout times of insecurity”. These schools are inclusive to every child, involving those that have been previously recruited. Additionally, this organisation as well as other child protection agencies, are working together with the communities at stake to promote effective ways of safeguarding children from such violations, and of properly reintegrating in the community those who have been recruited. These initiatives along with active humanitarian help can promote social stability and cohesion in troubled regions, and gradually reduce children’s susceptibility to recruitment. Finally, research and publications like this, available to anyone interested, are immensely significant not only to raise awareness about appalling realities so often unknown, but to gather potential supporters and humanitarians to help thwarting such outrage: children are not soldiers!
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