Argumentative Essay: Child Soldiers

Not everyone is familiar with the use of shield soldiers. But it is used, all over the world, and it needs to be stopped. Child soldiers deserve amnesty through rehabilitation. The only minority of children that don’t deserve amnesty are the kids that voluntarily join these militias and kill innocent people by their own will. Some people believe that all child soldiers are bad and shouldn't get amnesty, and they are entitled to their opinion. However, most of these are forced to fight, they would get killed if they don’t, and they are brainwashed by the generals that take advantage of the fact that they have lost everything. Also, these generals feed them drugs and terrorize these children to manipulate them to do their bidding. Also, these kids are treated terribly, given little food and no care. These kids should not be given life in prison when they should be learning to read and write in school. Children should be educated in school not being forced to kill people with a gun they can’t hold. Child soldiers merit a chance at rehabilitation because they are not morally responsible, are treated horribly, manipulated by drugs and terror tactics and are forced to fight against

A reason why child soldiers do deserve amnesty is because they were brainwashed, that had no idea what happened in the past. They all just

The issue of if child soldiers should be granted amnesty or not is not a simple yes or no deal. While most of the time child soldiers should be given amnesty, there are also many situations where people don’t see it fit to give them amnesty. There are many factors to consider in this very controversial topic.

These children are trained to kill, they don’t get to have the childhood they need. Immediately after they join the army the are thrown into training, their education completely abandoned. Being taught to kill at such a young age is something no child should have to go through, but these kids do so. These kids are forced to watched videos of executions and suicide bombers, even executing some prisoners themselves. In the article “Prosecuting Child Soldiers for their Own Safety” by Stephen Leahly, he writes about how children are told to kill someone in their own family or be killed themselves.

Child soldiers throughout third world areas should receive amnesty for their wrong doings. Many of them had no choice or chance to do what they believed was right. Most of these children were forced to fight by the officers and the leaders. There is also the counter argument that by providing these kids amnesty and allowing them to get away with their crimes, more kids will be thrown into battle because there is no punishment. In some cases for these child soldiers, it was either kill or be killed, and they did not want to die. Child soldiers should be granted amnesty and forgiven of their war crimes.

,” not prosecuting child perpetrators could indirectly expose child soldiers to greater risks since military commanders might delegate the “dirtiest” orders to children because of their immunity from prosecution”. To add to the debate, if child soldiers receive amnesty the groups wouldn’t care about the soldiers. Think about it, if the child won’t get punished for their crime and you will you would have the child do it. This puts the children in more danger and with a greater chance to die compared to not getting amnesty.

Child soldiers, each of them are unique individuals each with their own backstory, believes, and level of participation in the war; therefore, they should be treated as so. A ‘one size fits all’ policy would not be fair, and so we should have each child soldier go through a recovery process that includes psychological evaluation, therapy, medical treatment, and an assimilation into a new life. This would help them heal, but from that we can also find those who still strongly believe in their terrorist’s group message and those who have completely moved on from it. For justice to be done, we will give freedom for those who deserve it and prosecute those who deserve it.

Ishmael Beah, as well as child soldiers everywhere, should be granted amnesty because there are less violent and less serious forms of punishment. As mentioned in, “Child Soldiers Should Be Prosecuted, on debatewise.org,” one of these less harsh forms of punishment is being taken to the Truth and Reconciliation commissions, or the Demobilisation and Rehabilitation programs (DDR). These other forms of punishment aren’t even punishment, but helps these kids in rehabilitation and lets them admit to the things they have been forced to do.

Throughout the world children younger than 18 are being enlisted into the armed forces to fight while suffering through multiple abuses from their commanders. Children living in areas and countries that are at war are

Some children are under the age of 9. - Children who are not forced into child soldiers usually volunteer themselves. - Child soldiers are one of the worst forms of child labour. Thank You For Listening, Hoped You

Child soldiers. Most can not fathom the idea of children in war, less the fact that those children are fighting. It is a terrible thought to have to think about, especially when America now has the power to help and has been reluctant to use it (source 2). None the less though, children from ages 10 and up are being recruited for war (source 2). According to the United Nations, 14 countries around the world are recruiting children and used in armed conflicts as informants, guards, porters, cooks, and often, as front-line armed combatants (Source 2). So, should these child soldiers be granted amnesty if, or when, they are rescued? Child soldiers should be granted amnesty for their previous war crimes.

Child soldiers don’t know what they are getting themselves into when they are told to kill. They are unsuspecting of the dangers, and traces left on their permanent record. One authority described the children’s mentality:“ ‘Children are often desired as recruits because they can be easily intimidated and indoctrinated. They lack the mental maturity and judgment to express consent or to fully understand the implications of their actions… and are pushed by their adult commanders into perpetrating atrocities,’ the report said” (“Should child soldiers be prosecuted for their crimes?” from irinnews.org).Child soldiers don’t realize that they shouldn’t let adults physically push them around. Child soldiers are told to kill and they do it because they are not only afraid, but because they think if a grown-up tells them to complete a specific task, they have to obey. Also, many of these child soldiers come from places with wrecked schools.The poor environment averts child soldiers from getting the education they need. So, it may be implied that without these schools, without education, a child won’t know what is right and wrong.“Most children have never been in a classroom or played in a park” (“Armed and Underage” by Jeffrey Gettleman).Child soldiers aren’t exposed to learning environments like schools; all they’ve ever known and adapted to, are battlefields. Children, being so young, haven’t developed the

First, one of the major reasons why child soldiers should be granted amnesty is that they often have no choice but to fight. Sometimes the children are given a ‘choice’ to fight or leave safety, however as Ishmael Beah said during an interview with Harry Smith, that appeared on CBS “Sunday Morning”, “That may seem like a choice to some but as soon as a few left they were shot down.” This shows that when they are brought in the are forced to fight or die.

Did you know that more than 200,000 children around the world were forced into the brutalities of war and participated in acts of criminality? Many people believe child soldiers should be given amnesty and forgiven for the crimes they have committed. Child soldiers are homeless, kidnapped, and/or parentless children who were manipulated by officials in the military. Kids, as young as the age of 10, go to military bases to seek shelter and then are fed with drugs which disengaged with reality. Brainwashed, these kids are put into war and forced to fight for a certain side. Child soldiers should be given amnesty because they are forced to participate in War, they are taken from the streets or their homes and used because they are easy to manipulate, and they have been robbed from their childhood and have their still progressing brains to grow into a warlike mindset.

300,000 children around the world fight in wars instead of going to school, would you want to be in that situation?Children that have commited war crimes are often the topic for controversy, should they be given amnesty, or should they be prosecuted?Around the world, wars are occuring, and children are taking part in it. In countries like Sierra Leone, kids are joining armies to fight for them, and this can lead them to be involved in war-crimes. Adults that break the laws are usually arrested, but it’s a different story for the children. These children that fight alongside armies should be given amnesty even though they have committed crimes because of their particular situations.