conscripting children
Conscripting is the act of enlisting individuals into the armed forces. Conscripting children is a war crime punishable by the International Criminal Court (ICC) . The crime has the following elements :
- The perpetrator enlisted the victims into the national armed forces or for active participation in hostilities;
- The victims were under the age of 15;
- The conscription took place in the context of an armed conflict .
As result, these children who survive armed conflict usually suffer from psychiatric illness and behavioral problems due to trauma, which is often accompanied by an increased risk of suicide , mental disorders, alcohol abuse, and aggressive behavior.
[Last reviewed in October of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team ]
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