1. WHAT WERE YOU
DOING WHEN YOU
WERE 5 YEARS OLD?

2. OR MAYBE

3. Hundreds of thousands of children are used as child
soldiers all over the world

4. Some are as young as 5

6. Children are
vulnerable
because of their
emotional and
physical
immaturity.
They are easily
manipulated and
drawn into
violence that they
are too young to
resist or
understand.

7. ITS NOT JUST BOYS…

8. In Nepal, Sri Lanka and Uganda, a third or
more of the child soldiers were reported to be
girls.
Girls may be raped, or given to military
commanders as "wives."

9. Modern lightweight
weapons and small arms are accessible and simply
operated, allowing children to use them in place of
adults

10. Child soldiers are
given cocaine and
other drugs to help
take the edge
off…many become
addicted

11. Children are killed and wounded
at far higher rates than their adult
comrades.

12. Those who survive often suffer trauma, injury,
abuse, and psychological scarring from the
violence and brutality they experience.
Some are rejected by their families and
communities.

13. Children are sometimes forced to
commit atrocities against their
own family to help ensure that the
child is "stigmatized”
and unable to
return to his
or her home
community.

14. WHEN THE SURVIORS
ARE
RE-ENTERED INTO
THE REAL WORLD…

15. • Withdrawal
• Disruptive Behavior
• Nightmares
• Irritability
• Regressive Behavior
• Pain of no medical basis
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Guilt
• Flashbacks
• Emotional Numbing
• Substance Abuse

16. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
physically alters the brain of children
Specifically the
hippocampus,
prefrontal cortex,
and the
amygdale

17. THE STORY OF
ONE CHILD
SOLDIER

18. Ishmael Beah
At age 11, he witnessed the death of his family
At age 13 he became a child soldier

19. In 1997 Ishmael Beah was saved by UNICEF
He wrote a book
about his
experiences called A
Long Way Gone:
Memoirs of a Boy
Soldier

20. How can you help?

21. Visit www.ChiSol.org for
more information