Should Child Soldiers Be Punished?

Argument: They are killers too.
Rebuttal: some of the child soldiers are forced into killing or there life or someone really close them is taken away.

Argument: They can leave.
Rebuttal: They will be killed for being useless.

Argument: They join the army.
Rebuttal: Some kids depend on the army because they have no one left and the army is their only source of food.

Argument: They hurt people.
Rebuttal: Kids like Khadr get hurt too, Khadr was half blinded in one eye and got two bullets to the chest.

Argument: Can change.
Rebuttal: Khadr bragged about killing a U.S solider and planted land mines to kill U.S.

Argument: Khadr was forced to join.
Rebuttal: His dad was a al qaeda leader.

Argument: They choose to join the army.
Rebuttal: they would if they had almost no education and lived in a bad environment.

Argument: Should be punished for crimes that have been committed
Rebuttal: They're kids, they can be easily brainwashed into thinking they're doing the right thing. they shouldn't be hurt in any shape or form. they should most probably get rehabilitation.

Child Solider, Victim or Perpetrator?

Victim

• Child soldiers are not responsible for their actions, most of them are forced and can't back most of their own choices. 
• Most of their choices come from grown adults indicating that they are the real problem.
• Are easily manipulated and brainwashed into thinking that they're doing the "right thing."
• recruiters of child soldiers use drugs and alcohol in order for the kids to do what they want.
• Are brought to war for other peoples selfish needs, some parents sell their kids in order to receive money.
• Have little to no understanding of what's happening.
• They have suffered from seeing war and expericing it.
• most of these kids are uneducated, so they dont know what is wrong or right.
• we can teach them the right way. rehabilitation.
• Think being a child solider can provide them water, food, and some shelter. 
• Are dependent kids relying on their so called leader.
• Sometimes they don't have anything. 

Perpetrator

• They willingly want to become a solider
• will be encouraged to commit war crimes as he grows. 
• some times do it for revenge of all the deaths they have faced
• Some are responsible for their violent actions. 

Armed and Underage

Child soldiers are more efficient because they don’t need to be payed, they don't complain, and they will do whatever you say. Most of the kids are brought in because there aren't enough soldiers to fight for the war. Sometimes kids are forced into becoming a soldier, there rights are taken away. Most kids are sold by their parents or guardians in order for their selfish needs of survival. Kids can be easily brainwashed into thinking they're doing the “right thing.” They’re not only boy soldiers but they're also young girls who are raped. The kids do not benefit from this war, only the people who started the war do. They’re responsible for some deaths, they are responsible for what they did but that doesn’t mean they meant to. They are young and they have no one looking after them. Some kids don't live to see another day because they have, unfortunately, died trying to protect someone or something they don't know about. Some kids grow up and can’t erase the horrible memories of war. All we know about these young kids are uneducated and can be easily manipulated into doing bad things that they think are right. But what do you expect from an uneducated, and poor child who’s trying live and is taught there is nothing but bad in the world, while us educated kids have everything and don’t have to worry about missing a meal in our whole life.  

Child Solider

This picture you see is of a young girl who had her whole life taken away from here in order to become a child soldier. She is a victim. This girl was never taught the right way like most kids that go to school do and she was manipulated into thinking her life was to “protect” her people, while in reality she got herself a one way ticket to death. She could’ve been outside playing with her friends but instead she and her friends are in a war that they had no hand in starting. Young kids like her can’t do many adult things but they can fight, they can see the disaster that is war, they can ruin their lives? This young girl and many more are victims and it needs to stop. Really soon. Like most confused and fragile child soldiers this young girl wasn't lucky enough to live, her life had ended during the war. A few kids do live on but they are tormented and they’re broken from all the suffering they have faced and sometimes all the memories of war don’t fade away.