Child Soldiers: Victims or Perpetrators?

In recent years, the number of soldiers under seventeen has expanded to about 300,000 world wide. A large potion, 75%, of the worlds conflicts involve child soldiers. It is a growing issue that must be regulated, that people should be more aware of. I believe that the majority of these child soldiers are victims, innocents who were manipulated or threatened into service.
Often times children come in good faith, seeking protection and shelter. Ishmael Beah, a former child combatant, discussed his experiences in Sierra Leon, saying "Naturally we thought if we went to a military base we would be protected—that was not the case." In other incidences, children have been captured and forced onto combat. Children in war zones who are suffering emotionally or economically are the most likely to enlist in an army. In extreme cases, families are so poor that they sell their children into service. In fact, the article "Children at War" stated that "According to the United Nations, children are most likely to become soldiers when they are impoverished or separated from their families."  This shows that they volunteered to serve in fits of desperation, trying to escape bad situations they were stuck in.
Some people hold the children accountable for murder. They follow the orders of their commanders and kill when told to kill. But most of the time this is a result of the children being mislead or threatened. If they didn't fight, the soldiers could be killed by their commanders or by the opposing army. It is legal to kill in self-defense, so in this case they shouldn't be held accountable for protecting themselves. Beah says about his time fighting as a child, "You've completely lost yourself. It completely becomes your life. You have to do it to survive." He also talks about how, when he was forced to fight, he was drugged against his will. This gave him a seance of invincibility. He was also led to believe that his commanders held a kind of magic that could protect him. The article "Armed and Underage" mentioned how in the Iran-Iraq war children were given plastic "Keys to Heaven" to keep them safe as they cleared mine fields. Because the soldiers were children, their naïveté led them to believe in these various "powers of protection."
The children can continue to suffer long after actual combat ceases. Mental and physical development can be impaired, and drug addictions can remain. Hallucinations can occur, as well as other symptoms of trauma. Many of the former combatants nave issues reintegrating back into society. Their feelings of trust have been corrupted, they find it hard to trust again, especially adults.
All in all, the children should not be blamed for the fact that they fought. If they weren't forced, most did so out of desperation or fear. They emotionally suffer the consequences of their time fighting and should not be thought of as perpetrators. We should do our best to support their rehabilitation, and try to prevent the recruitment of those who are underage.