Long Way Gone Research Report

Long Way Gone Research Report

The life of a child soldier can be terrible they are taken from their homes and their families and can be mentally and physically damaged with everything the rebels force them to do. Anyone under the age of eighteen is considered a child solider. Everyone in the village is affected greatly when the rebels come and raid their towns children are killed or kidnapped and forced to battle, to have to see any of this occur would haunt anyone for life. When captured they are made to carry heavy loads and walk great distances with hardly any food or water, if they cannot keep up with the pack they are usually shot and killed. No person let a lone a child should have to endure this lifestyle. Any child that attempts an escape has almost no chance, and if still feel the urge to try and captured again by the rebels they will likely face the death penalty. To make things even worse the rebels will make the other prisoners carry out the penalty with threats of death if they do not. These are just some things the children will endure while taking on the life of a child soldier.

Children that are used in battle can have a variety of age.   Anyone under the age of eighteen is considered a child soldier. Anyone under eighteen that is unemployed may feel the need to join to rebels in order to help serve there families with the necessities of life, these children may feel that it is the only way that their families survive it for another day. This should not be the only option they see available to them. To give an example In Sri Lanka a group of   rebels called the “Tamil Tigers” would kidnap girls as young as eleven years old. They are taken from their towns or when they are out in the bush, and once captured the rebels will force them to fight. These children are treated like servants by the rebels as well as fellow soldiers. Because the children are so young these rebels or in this case “Tamil Tigers” have no problem manipulating the children...