Guilt and Child Soldiers

Abstract

The use of child soldiers in armed conflict is an increasing global concern. Although philosophers have examined whether child soldiers can be considered combatants in war, much less attention has been paid to their moral responsibility. While it is tempting to think of them as having diminished or limited responsibility, child soldiers often report feeling guilt for the wrongs they commit. Here I argue that their feelings of guilt are both intelligible and morally appropriate. The feelings of guilt that child soldiers experience are not self-censure; rather their guilt arises from their attempts to come to terms with what they see as their own morally ambiguous motives. Their guilt is appropriate because it reaffirms their commitment to morality and facilitates their self-forgiveness.

Moral Injury in Former Child Soldiers in Liberia

“…Armed groups frequently use fear, humiliation, brutality and psychological manipulations to enforce the obedience of the abducted children (Wessells, 1997). Since this learned inability to refuse can induce emotional conflicts, abduction may not eliminate but induce the feelings of shame and guilt, which may lead to MI (Frankfurt & Frazier, 2016;Thomason, 2016). This study will test this hypothesis by examining whether forced recruitment via abduction moderates the relationship between committed atrocities and the risk of MI.…”