Child Soldiers

Wessells, Michael G.

doi:10.2307/j.ctv1dv0trf

Cited by 57 publications

(73 citation statements)

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“…These characteristics not only facilitate their recruitment, but also are likely to lead to a higher fighting capacity of the rebel group. This is especially important for armed groups without a broad membership or support base (Beber and Blattman, 2013; Brett et al, 1996; Singer, 2006; Tynes and Early, 2014; Wessells, 2006; Woods, 1993).…”

Section: Child Soldiers and Rebel Groups’ Fighting Capacities: Theoretical Argumentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, children are more likely to perpetrate a more diverse set of violent actions, for example, sexual violence, massacres, physical assault or mutilations (Hecker and Haer, 2015). Psychological research also emphasizes that child soldiers show more aggressiveness than adult combatants as they perceive violence as something positive and fascinating (Schauer and Elbert, 2010; Wessels, 2006).…”

Section: Child Soldiers and Rebel Groups’ Fighting Capacities: Theoretical Argumentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The impact of child soldiers on rebel groups’ fighting capacities

Haer

Böhmelt

2015

Conflict Management and Peace Science

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Several rebel groups actively recruit children to serve among their ranks. While this constitutes one of the most egregious violations of children's rights, it remains unclear what impact recruited children have on the fighting capacities of these armed groups. The existing research suggests that, on the one hand, armed groups drafting children might also be militarily effective, since it is cheaper to provide for children, they are more obedient and aggressive than adults, and easily manipulable. On the other hand, children may negatively affect rebel groups' fighting capacities as they are less proficient combatants than adults and often difficult to control. We add to this debate by systematically analyzing the quantitative evidence on the impact of child soldiers on rebel groups' fighting capacities. Based on the analysis of newly compiled data on child recruitment by rebel groups between 1989 and 2010, our analyses show that children may actually increase rebel groups' fighting capacities. That said, rebels' ability to procure arms and the access to resources seem more important determinants of fighting capacity. The authors discuss these findings in light of policy implications and avenues for future research.

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Section: Child Soldiers and Rebel Groups’ Fighting Capacities: Theoretical Argumentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Child Soldiers and Rebel Groups’ Fighting Capacities: Theoretical Argumentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of child soldiers on rebel groups’ fighting capacities

Haer

Böhmelt

2015

Conflict Management and Peace Science

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“…Since they have been robbed of the moral tutelage of parents, teachers and religious leaders, child soldiers presumably develop twisted values by living in armed groups condoning killing and savagery. 68 Therefore, they could also be labelled as agents that challenge the post-conflict peace, making the healing processes and their integration into their communities far more challenging. In this case, it could mean that demobilised children rejected by their families and society will view other armed groups as alternatives to survive the post-conflict changes.…”

Section: The Ambiguous Representations Of Child Soldiers In the Colombian Peace Agreementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Child soldiers as peace-builders in Colombian peace talks between the government and the FARC–EP

Martuscelli

Villa

2018

Conflict, Security & Development

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Children, especially girls, are considered victims in armed conflicts. Children who participate in conflicts, as combatants, sexual servants, spies, informants and messengers, may be considered perpetrators of atrocities. These two classifications of children in armed conflicts do not consider their roles as agents who may also participate in peace-building efforts. This paper analyses how children involved in armed conflicts are classified and represented in the current peace agreement between the Colombian government and the FARC-EPthe Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo).We aim to understand if children are recognised in this peace process as participants and, in some capacity, as peace-builders. Dialoguing with the literature on critical security studies and childhood studies, we conduct a critical discourse analysis of the peace agreement documents. The study of the Colombian case enables an empirical analysis in which child soldiers are categorised as victims with the possibility of participating in peace-building and, at the same time, as potential challengers to the peace process.

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“…It was much easier to make the children become good, integrated rebels (Beber & Blattman, 2013). As noted by Wessells (2006: 34–35): ‘through violence or threat of violence, young children can be trained to obey commands that many adults would contest or find ways around’. The key point here is that the children as opposed to adults internalized the norms of the organization and developed a deep allegiance to the organization (Blattman & Annan, 2010; Beber & Blattman, 2013).…”

Section: Solving the Puzzlementioning

confidence: 99%

Membership matters

Gates

2017

Journal of Peace Research

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Unable to attract enough voluntary recruits, many rebel groups rely on force to fill their ranks. Given that the group used force to compel individuals to join, a coerced conscript would be presumed unlikely to be loyal and would be expected to desert at the first opportunity. Yet, groups that have relied on coerced recruitment retain their members just as well as, if not better than, rebel armies that rely on voluntary methods of recruitment. This is a puzzle. How do rebel groups maintain allegiance and prevent desertion, especially if they rely on abduction to staff their ranks? A recruit can be forced to join a rebel group, but continuing to rely on coercion to enforce retention is too costly and not sustainable. These groups must find a way to reduce the costs of retention. The solution to this puzzle rests in the mechanisms of socialization that shape the allegiance of forcibly recruited soldiers. Socialization mechanisms are traced through three outcomes: compliance (or Type 0 socialization), role learning (Type I socialization), and norm internalization (Type II socialization). Integrating socialization theory and a rational choice analysis demonstrates that mechanisms that alter preferences through Type II socialization are effective in retaining recruits; the highest level of retention occurs when several mechanisms work in concert. Illustrative case studies of the Lord’s Resistance Army from Uganda, the Revolutionary United Front in Sierra Leone, the Maoists in Nepal, and the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) show that a reliance on child soldiers, group assets (pecuniary and non-pecuniary), organizational structure, and the nature of military contestation shape when different mechanisms are effective or not.

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Child Soldiers

Cited by 57 publications

References 0 publications

The impact of child soldiers on rebel groups’ fighting capacities

The impact of child soldiers on rebel groups’ fighting capacities

Child soldiers as peace-builders in Colombian peace talks between the government and the FARC–EP

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