Are child soldiers ethical?

Because child soldiers pose a threat in exactly the same way that adult combatants do, they have combatant status and are therefore legitimate targets of attack according to contemporary just war theory. Whether they are morally responsible for the threat they pose is irrelevant, as is the fact that they are children.

Do child soldiers go to jail?

But in a conflict with a so-called terrorist group, children are prosecuted as criminals and sentenced to prison as terrorists. In the past twenty years, tens of thousands of former child soldiers have benefited from rehabilitation programs designed to help them rejoin society.

Can soldiers shoot child soldiers?

The fact that a child soldier can be a combatant or a civilian taking direct part in hostilities implies that this child soldier can be directly targeted. The conclusion that it is lawful to directly target child soldiers does not necessarily entail that it is lawful to target them as if they were adult soldiers.

Why are child soldiers punished?

It is important that child soldiers are included in post-war justice, so that the whole community can see that the perpetrators of human rights violations are punished. The finality of a trial also helps to draw a line under the conflict and allows a society to move on.

Are child soldiers innocent?

Children are not usually considered to be morally responsible actors—especially if they are kidnapped and forcibly indoctrinated. Such child soldiers are practically pure examples of innocent attackers, with all of the attendant difficulties for justifying violence against them.

Were there child soldiers in the Vietnam War?

Against this background, children as young as 13 and 14 were involved in the armed struggle, learning guerrilla warfare tactics and killing both American and South Vietnamese soldiers. Some were trained to be informants.

How are child soldiers treated?

Human Rights Watch investigations have also found that child recruits are often forced to physically punish and kill other soldiers, including children, accused of desertion and other crimes. Child soldiers who refuse to comply with orders may be severely beaten or threatened with execution.

Why are child soldiers given amnesty?

The most important reason why child soldiers should be granted amnesty is because it is not their will to commit these crimes, it is simply being forced into act they would never commit unless their life was on the line.