In poor regions of the world often villages are raped, murdered and carried off to become soldiers. Hardly any child wants to go. Nobody cares that they're still children. They are kidnapped or recruited. Not even girls are spared.
Children have the task to co special services. they have to cook, wash, serve food, carry heavy things, investigate the territory of their enemies as secret agents. They even have to serve as mine - detectors and at the front. Children are ordered to murder, rape, torture or plunder people. Often their own parents, friends and neighbours are the victims. Girls often even have to serve soldiers on a sexual basis.

Only some children succeed to escape. The escape is punished with beatings. Sometimes the punishment is so bad that children die. Children who have seen those terrible and scared pictures will never forget them.

One reason for the increasing rate of children who have to serve as soldiers at war is the large quantity of weapons available that are easy to handle even by young children.

Furthermore children are easy to influence, unassuming and unaware of danger and therefore risk a lot.

Threats, physical violence, alcoholism and drugs to break their resistance and make them become obedient soldiers.

Integration in society after war is very hard. the every day violence left its trace:
nightmares, depressions, mental illness...
Especially for girls it is difficult due to sexual abusement: unintentional pregnancies, venereal diseases or aids are consequences of the time serving in the military.

They can't go back home because their parents are dead. War children are often excluded. They have learned to fight and to use weapons, but without school education of professional skills their chances to integrate after war are small. While the younger children are able to go to school, the older ones need to obtain practical skills before they can live a new life.
These children need especially psychological help!