The term child soldiers defines the use of children or minors in war actions or their enrollment in military groups. This occurs when children or minors are employed in military or illegal action and it happenes in many place in the world. They can be a direct partecipations in hostilities or in supporting roles as messengers, spies, lookouts. 30% of armies also enliest girls, but most prefer to enliest boys. In some times of history the children have been involved in military ctione even when common morals found it deplorable. Since the 1970 a lot of international conventions have be signed to stop the partecipation of children in conflicts. In some African, South America and Asian countries the children are often subject to this type of exploitation. These children, in some cases, are given drugs, in order to interact during a fight without them giving up, while the girls are often used for sexual purposes but also for cooking, placing explosives, opening the way to the army in the mined field because they can be replaced more easily. They don’t have to be paid for and they don’t rebel.
The Statute of the International Criminal Court includes, among war crimes in armed conflicts, the recruitment of persons under the age of 15.
Camilla Spagnolatti 3AL
