Children associated with
armed forces or armed groups
Despite a growing focus of international attention and wide condemnation of the practice, the recruitment and use of children in conflict continues across the world. Children are used in a variety of ways including support roles, as spies or informants, in active front-line fighting or for sexual purposes. Many of these children die or survive with a disability as a result of their experiences; for others the physical, emotional, developmental, mental and spiritual suffering and harm is immeasurable.
Click on buttons to access documents.
slides (PowerPoint)
| Word | ||||
| Study material |  |  | ||
| Topic | 1 | The issue for children | ||
| Exercise | 1 | Child associated with an armed force or armed group | | |
| Exercise | 2 | Principles in working with children associated with armed forces or armed groups | | |
| Handout | 1 | Definitions | | |
| Handout | 2 | Scenario | | |
| Handout | 3 | Six principles | | |
| Topic | 2 | The law and child rights | ||
| Exercise | 1 | Quiz on the legal and normative framework | | |
| Handout | 1 | Questions | | |
| Handout | 2 | Legal texts on children associated with armed forces or armed groups | | |
| Handout | 3 | The Paris commitments | | |
| Topic | 3 | Assessment and situation analysis | ||
| Exercise | 1 | Factors that make children vulnerable to recruitment | | |
| Exercise | 2 | Recruitment drama | | |
| Exercise | 3 | Recruitment of children | | |
| Exercise | 4 | How do children become actively involved in armed conflict? | | |
| Exercise | 5 | Situation analysis relating to prevention of recruitment of children into armed forces or armed groups | | |
| Handout | 1 | Notes for recruiters | | |
| Handout | 2 | Notes for displaced persons | | |
| Handout | 3 | Case studies | | |
| Handout | 4 | Reasons and approaches for recruitment | | |
| Handout | 5 | Discussion questions | | |
| Handout | 6 | Scenario and areas for analysis | | |
| Topic | 4 | Planning and implementation | ||
| Exercise | 1 | Forced recruitment of children | | |
| Exercise | 2 | Brainstorm on monitoring and reporting on recruitment of children into armed forces or armed groups | | |
| Exercise | 3 | Developing an advocacy strategy for prevention of recruitment into armed forces or armed groups | | |
| Exercise | 4 | Risk mapping | | |
| Exercise | 5 | Advocacy for the release of children from armed groups | | |
| Exercise | 6 | Planning for release or demobilisation | | |
| Exercise | 7 | Developing a response for health issues related to demobilisation | | |
| Exercise | 8 | Interim care | | |
| Exercise | 9 | Reintegration exercise | | |
| Exercise | 10 | Reintegration case study analysis | | |
| Exercise | 11 | Planning for reintegration of children associated with armed forces or armed groups | | |
| Exercise | 12 | Community engagement | | |
| Exercise | 13 | A return to normal life | | |
| Handout | 1 | Case studies | | |
| Handout | 2 | Advocacy task | | |
| Handout | 3 | Scenario | | |
| Handout | 4 | Preventing recruitment | | |
| Handout | 5 | Procedures and efforts to demobilise children associated with armed forces or armed groups in Sierra Leone | | |
| Handout | 6 | Demobilisation of children associated with armed forces or armed groups in Mozambique | | |
| Handout | 7 | Case studies | | |
| Handout | 8 | Scenario | | |
| Handout | 9 | Associated Press report April 1998 | | |
| Topic | 5 | Monitoring, evaluation and learning | ||