why do people use child soldiers?
Children are young, vunerable and gullible. They can easily be controlled whether with physical threats or drugs. They can cause hesitation in the enemy. They are cheap and replaceable.
cAUSES OF CHILD SOLDIERS
There are many factors that pull children into the horrendous events of war wheher it be voluntarily or not.
Children are kidnapped
Paramilitary armies gather children to add to their number of forces. They do not want to waste the lives of their loyal army to mines and unexpected ambushes. They kidnap children and send them out by force as a precaution so their army does not die but the children do instead.
best chance of survival
Some children join the paramilitaries because there lays their best chance of survival. How does the paramilitaries show the children that they have the best chance? They burn down the children's homes so they have no physical place to return to. They kill the children's parents so they no longer have someone to look to for protection.
to defend themselves
Many children see that anyone who cannot defend themselves are killed. The message they get from their surroundings is if you don't fight, you are beaten, raped and killed. However, they do not have a weapon. To get their means of defense, they join the army so they have something, whether it be a gun or a kitchen knife.
The need to support their families
War has many side effects. Paramilitaries, armies, rebel groups need supplies to survive. They have power, weapons and strength so they can just steal from people or raid vacant houses for food and water. The people however, do not have the ability to acquire these life necessities. So, the children must join the war to be able to bring back food for their families.