Averting the use of children in armed conflict

THOUSANDS of children have lost their entire childhood because they have been used as soldiers or in other roles in the fighting forces in different parts of the world. This trend is increasing at an alarming rate due to improved technology, which has brought the world together so closely. Technology has advanced the rate at which children are taken advantage of and used for horrendous acts of violence. Using children as war resources is a profound violation of human rights and child protection that challenges most security actors. Hence it is paramount to take urgent actions to prevent this grave violation and disarm, demobilize and reintegrate child soldiers properly into society. There are many grave violations committed against children in the conflict zones; numerous children are forcefully recruited to fight adults in war or support roles in various countries around the globe. Specifically, they are forced to take up roles as fighters, or others decide to enroll voluntarily. Nonetheless, when their initiatives are examined, it is so vivid that they were under coercion and ignorant of the consequences because they sometimes lack a sense of good judgment or may not realize that their actions will negatively impact others.

Child soldiers are used because children are easy to maneuver; some believe children are cheap to sustain, need limited training, are fearless, and take risks without considering the effects. The use of children in armed conflict is a terrible form of child labor and a grave violation of human rights. It is my belief that these events have insurmountable psychological effects on children. Involvement of children in armed conflict has impacted them severely, and it can increase the risk factors associated with child labor. The effects are devastating and could last longer than expected. These experiences are toxic because they face abuse, exploitation, neglect, exclusion, restriction, moral injury and death, which can hit hard and have a long-lasting emotional and psychological impact.

Children’s upbringing, especially in the first few years, is critical to their success since it significantly impacts their future emotional, cognitive, social, and physical development. That is, it affects their whole growth and the adult they will become. As a result, it is vital to prevent future harm to children’s lives and assist those current victims of conflicts to reintegrate into society successfully.

Prevention of children’s use as child soldiers is critical to resolving this problem because the impacts last for generations, and the scope of the problem immensely exceeds the number of children involved directly. It is time to be proactive in resolving this crime against humanity by putting children at the forefront of the peace and security agenda, which has remarkable benefits, not just in terms of safeguarding children from the horrors of war but also in terms of averting conflict and building peace. Prevention strategies should be focused on the core causes of conflict and instability rather than the most visible manifestations of violence. Combating poverty, income inequality, environmental degradation, under-education, a weak civil society, and other factors that lead to instability in fragile states not only prevents conflict but also benefits society as a whole.

Prevention has a number of facets, and one of the most proximate to the conflict is early warning. There are different early warning systems, which helps to examine various elements that lead to armed conflict and mass atrocities and monitor countries for them to warn of violence before it breaks out, allowing for prevention. Conflict situations need to be monitored actively via means like predictive models, media monitoring, country briefing. These early warning systems exist at both the regional and global levels, operated by governments and organizations, and they need to be used proactively. When children are directly targeted from the beginning of a crisis, this demonstrated the seriousness of the situation and the potential for escalation. Hence, concerned organizations and governments must take the necessary steps to find a political settlement and gather timely and accurate information on violations against children, particularly the recruitment and use of child soldiers, verify the information and take efficient and productive preventative actions before violations and violence begin.

Preventative action is much more efficient and likely to succeed than reactive measures, mainly waiting until military intervention is the only option is not the best. Thus more concerted and timely effort needs to be put in to prevent wars and end the numerous terrible armed conflicts that are destroying the lives of children. Nonetheless, we must never allow attacks on children, even if wars persist. We need to hold warring parties accountable for their responsibilities to protect children. Otherwise, children, their families, and communities will continue to suffer the devastating consequences.

• Babalola is a social work student in Dalhousie University.

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