Underage and Under Fire: Inquiry into the Use of Child Soldiers 1994-8

This article attempts to identify under what circumstances some nations' armed forces or groups employ children in armed conflicts. Based on a multivariate analysis of 162 and165 countries in the period 1994-8, the article concludes that child participation is primarily linked to repressive and unstable regimes, in addition to protracted conflicts. It also suggests that child employment reduces rather than enhances the recruitment of children, possibly because child labour works as a better and safer alternative to child soldiering.