The use of children Another characteristic of contemporary civil wars is the use of children.

This not only changes the nature of the wars being fought, but also the social landscape of the future. The use of young recruits and children as young as eight has been evident in a number of long-term conflicts, especially where there is a shortage of manpower. Ethiopia, Sudan, Iran and Sri Lanka are just some of the states in which children have been used in warfare. Although historically children have been present in military encampments, it is only in recent years that children have fought on the frontline. This is largely due to the viability of cheap, light and easy to use automatic weapons. Moreover, children are easier to recruit. When communities have been disrupted and families separated, young children are enticed into joining militia units with the promise of stability and a new family. Those who are orphaned have little choice but to follow guerrilla forces, while others may be put under peer pressure and the promise of excitements and adventure. Childs soldiers are, by and large, more obedient and disciplined than their older counterparts. They tend to follow directions precisely, rarely being open to compromise. In cases where executions are planned, but where adults are unwilling to undertake the task, children are often more willing to comply. They have a limited sense of absolute morals and can be easily brainwashed. They lack a developed notion of proportion, so they are more willing to commit acts of extreme violence. Often children treat war as game, so they do not know when to stop, or when to withdraw if a situation is untenable. Thus in some cases if caught in a conventional battle children maybe slaughtered, but in other cases they can be devastatingly brutal. Another dimension of child soldiers is their relative cheapness. In Liberia, it is alleged that children were paid in cocaine and marijuana. Sometimes they are content with simple treats such as a ride on a motor bike or new clothes. All in all, the long-term social and psychological impact of having generations of children scarred by war or trained to kill and torture is yet to be fully realized. But there is little doubt of the damage that is being done. More ominously, there is little doubt that the use children could become an increasingly common feature of modern warfare.