Involving Children in Military Conflicts, Models and Methods of Recruitment (Ukrainian Experience)

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29038/2306-3971-2019-02-13-20

Keywords:

children, social problems, life strategies, armed conflict, children-soldier

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to study the involving children in military conflicts, models and methods of recruitment in conditions of armed conflict in Ukraine. The article opens the problem of recruitment childhood into illegal armed groups in conditions of armed conflict, the peculiarities of this process in the Ukrainian realities and international practice examples address the issue of prevention of involvement of children in hostilities. The methodological base of the article includes the results of sociological researches «Improvement of psychosocial support for children and families in the eastern and central regions of Ukraine» and «Sons of the Regiments», reports on the humanitarian situation UNICEF «Humanitarian Assistance in Donbass» and «Named the Number of Children Killed in Donbass». The problem of the protection of minors in conditions of armed conflict is of international importance and requires joint efforts of the inter-national community to find ways to solve it. Implementation of the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine provoked the emergence of complex social problems, which significantly increased the risks for children and their families who are in crisis by conducting military operations and occupation of their places of permanent residence. Their list includes: the emergence of child combatants and child soldiers, a sharp increase of children with disabilities and disadvantaged children fall in the birth rate.

References

Chaika, I., Zokur, E. (2019). Combatant children in the post-conflict period: the problem of responsibility and protection of the rights of the child (foreign experience for Ukraine). Political Life, 2, 15–21.

Children in the Donbass do not always understand that they are involved in hostilities – research (2016). Information Agency «Donbass News». Retrieved September 18, 2019 from http://novosti.dn.ua/details/ 274488/(19.05.2016)

Children's battalions «L-DNR» Games are over. (2016). Information Agency «Donbass News». Retrieved December 8, 2018 from http://novosti.dn.ua/details/268335

Gerwehr, S., Daly, S. (2014). Al-Qaida: terrorist selection and recruitment. Retrieved October 25, 2019 from https://www.rand.org/pubs/reprints/RP1214.html

Inter-factional deputy group «For the Protection of Constitutional Rights of Citizens and Against Political Repression» (2017). Human rights activists recorded 95 cases involving children in an armed conflict in the Donbass. Retrieved November 10, 2019 from https://forbiddentoforbid.org.ua/uk/pravozakhisniki-zafiksuvali-95-vipadki/

Ivanov, G. (2019). The hostages were freed by assault: terrorists in the Donbass staged a war with children. Retrieved November 13, 2019 from https://www.obozrevatel.com/society/shturmom-osvobozhdali-zalozh-nikov-terroristyi-na-donbasse-ustroili-vojnushki-s-detmi.htm

Machel, G. (1996). The Impact of Armed Conflict on Children. Retrieved August 8, 2019 from: http://www.essex.ac.uk/armedcon./000239.doc.

McCallin, M. (1996). The Psychological Well-being of Refugee Children: Research, Practice, and Policy. Geneva: International Catholic Child Bureau, 6, 34–42.

Popov, I. M. (2004). The phenomenon of «soldier-children». Independent Military Review,17. Retrieved December 9, 2019 from http://nvo.ng.ru/wars/2004-04-16/2_phenomen.html

Starovoitov, O. (1999). Protecting children during armed conflict. Belarusian Journal of International Law and International Relations, 3, 27–32. Retrieved September 12, 2019 from http://www.evolutio.info/content/ view/304/50/

The militarization and involvement of the children of Donbass in the war. (2019). Retrieved November 13, 2019 from https://lifedon.com.ua/special_project/life_thoughts/43040-militarizaciya-i-privlechenie-k-voyne-detey- donbassa.html

They are children: on the network showed the victory of the «zomboyaschik» in the Donbass (2019). Retrieved July 21, 2019 from https://apostrophe.ua/news/society/2019-07-16/oni-zhe-deti-v-seti-pokazali-pobedu-zomboyaschika-na-donbasse/168873

UN General Assembly. (1996). The effects of armed conflict on children: Note by the Secretary-General, August, 26, 1996, A / 51/306. Retrieved November 12, 2019 from https://www.refworld.org.ru/docid/4a5b 22d42.html

UN News. (2018). Last year, five thousand child soldiers were demobilized. Retrieved November 9, 2019 from https://news.un.org/ru/story/2018/02/1323181

Published

26.12.2019

Issue

Section

SOCIOLOGY: CURRENT, DISPUTABLE