Children and Armed Conflict

Abstract

Exploring the experiences of children encountering war and armed conflict, this book draws upon history, ethnography, sociology, literature, media studies, psychology, public policy, and other disciplines to address children as soldiers, refugees, and peace-builders within their social, cultural, and political contexts.Violence, conflict, and war challenge everyday understandings about the 'nature' of children and boundaries of childhood. In the disruption and destruction of the lives of children, their families and communities, childhood itself transforms and takes shape. Children, like others, are both subject to the consequences of war and actively involved in many aspects of conflict. They are and have been fighters, victims, refugees, peace-builders and reasons both to enter into and to end wars. Children and Armed Conflict explores the multi-faceted ways in which children have encountered armed conflict, illuminating their varied historical and contemporary roles. This book moves beyond the child simply as either 'victim' or 'soldier' by examining children's experiences of armed conflict in their broader historical, sociological, anthropological, literary, cultural, psychological, and public policy complexities; 'This book is indispensible for anyone interested in the problem of children in war. It is a strikingly fresh collection of essays that brings a strong empirical and multidisciplinary approach to an issue dominated by ideology and rhetoric. Drawing on contemporary and historical examples from North America, Northern Ireland, Russia, France, Darfur, Sierra Leone and elsewhere the essays portray the lives of children in complex situations of armed conflict where they emerge as fully human heroes, soldiers, victims, agents, sufferers, patriots and perpetrators. The book is a splendid contribution to the study of children and childhood.' - Professor David Rosen, Fairleigh Dickson University, USA