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Child Soldiers: A Narrative Analysis

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The photographs in the Child Soldiers Exhibition highlighted the widespread use of child soldiers in the world. I was unaware of the many regimes utilizing children in their militias, and I was surprised to see the myriad of emotions expressed by the children. This breadth of emotion helped reveal the children’s personalities. Many of the children stared passively, exhibiting a sense of fear about their occupations. I understand this neutrality as an acknowledgement that the children are aware that they are trapped and will never escape. Personally, the children who showed faces of anger and rage struck me as those who cannot comprehend the responsibility of their actions. At this young age, it is nearly impossible to understand the fragility of life and the consequences of killing another being. They are, therefore, a blank slate for militant leaders to abuse and shape into their pawns for war. To the rebel groups who use them, children are disconnected from the act of killing and will merely ‘pull the trigger’ and fail to understand the consequences. This use is a viable option for rebel groups who rely on kidnapping and trafficking …show more content…
This question guided me to consider several perspectives. First, if the children were to escape, then they would not receive government help because they were considered rebels who sought to overthrow the government. Second, if the children were to escape, then they would most likely face deportation back to their home and retribution from their rebel group leaders. To me, the most disturbing aspect of a child soldier’s possible freedom is the likelihood that they will be unable to integrate into society and face constant psychological troubles, such as post-traumatic stress. Even if they achieve freedom, they are mentally trapped in the world in which they were raised and will continue to face the affliction imposed by their captors for the rest of their

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