Children and war

Millions of children are not merely bystanders but targets of war. Many are killed by bombs, bullets and landmines, many more are severely traumatized, though there is disagreement among carers as to how far the resulting symptoms should be managed as conventional psychiatric illness. Although a clear breach of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, large numbers of boys become active combatants, particularly in conflicts in Africa. The background factors to this and the rehabilitation of the boy soldiers at the end of the conflicts are discussed. A recent report to the United Nations proposes that the age limit of 15 for child soldiers under the Convention should be raised to 18. Governments should set up official machinery for implementing and monitoring the Convention.

Key Words:

• Children
• Child soldiers
• Machel report
• Post‐traumatic stress disorder
• Psychosocial support
• War