Child Soldiers
About 300,000 children under the age of 18 are estimated to be involved in various conflicts worldwide. Children used in wars directly take part in hostilities or perform support roles such as porters, spies etc or are forced to act as human shields. Children as young as seven have been found to take part in hostilities. History has recorded many instances of extensive use of children in military and the act of participation has been glorified as being heroic among many cultures. There are many reasons why children end up being a part of an armed group. While some children are abducted and forcibly recruited, some in response to socio-economic pressures, abuse and discrimination, join armed groups as a way of guarantee regular meals, clothing and medical attention. There are cases where children, especially adolescents have been lured by ideologies of these groups. One of the major advantages of using children is that they can be influenced easily to commit barbarous crimes as seen in Sierra Leone. Extensive use of light weight weapons which are easy to handle has made it possible for young children to bear and use arms. Findings by the Child Soldiers Global Report revealed the use of child soldiers in conflicts in 19 countries during 2004 – 2007.