102 heritage for peace and reconciliation | manual for teacherContentsis one of our survival instincts. Whoever understands its power can use it in a positiveor negative way. Problems only arise when the aggressive response is not proportionalto the reason for the behaviour and degenerates into violence. Violence is unrestrainedbehaviour and is often explosive and combative.Violence is never constructive. Violence intentionally harms humans, animals and oursurroundings. We notice violence the most in its physical form, such as when it manifestsin biting, slapping, scratching, kicking, spitting, pulling hair and breaking things.All children do these things. Although physical violence can be quite devastating, verbal,emotional and psychological forms of violence can be even more damaging. Thesetypes of violence include threatening, ignoring, excluding, insulting and mocking.In life, there are moments when we experience violence, either as perpetrators, victimsor witnesses. Group dynamics and group psychology play an important part in this.Research demonstrates that people in groups are more susceptible to violence. Peopleare more likely to be violent when they feel supported by others. Accordingly, becauseviolence is perpetrated on the basis of the desire to be part of the group, or the fear ofbeing excluded, children are more vulnerable than adults.In order to feel secure, everyone needs to be somewhat self-confident and resilient.However, this can turn into negative aggression when people become so convincedthat they are right that they want to impose their own ideas without taking intoaccount the consequences for others. In a situation like this, respect is of key importance.Children need to learn that it is necessary to defend their ideas on problems andabuse, but they also need to know that they must listen to the opposing arguments.Child soldiersMany young men who served as soldiers in the First World War, on land or at sea,were, as we understand the term today, child soldiers.According to UNICEF 2 reports, it is estimated that approximately 300,000 childrenunder the age of 18 are currently involved in more than 30 conflicts worldwide. Childrenare used as combatants, messengers, porters, cooks and sexual slaves. Some are abductedor forcibly recruited, while others are driven to join by poverty, abuse, discriminationor a desire to seek revenge for violence against them or their families. Children are morelikely to become child soldiers if they are separated from their families, displaced from2 The United Nations Children’s Fund.
Contentseducating towards a better future103their homes, living in combat zones or have limited access to education. For some children,joining armed groups is the only way to guarantee food and survival.In some situations, the involvement of children as soldiers in conflicts may even beaccepted or encouraged. Children may voluntarily take part in warfare, not realizingthe dangers and abuses to which they will be subjected. Most likely, these children areresponding to economic, cultural, social and political pressures.Somali Former Child Soldiers Handed to UNICEF Care © Tobin Jones/UN Photo.UNICEF defines a child soldier as any child, boy or girl, less than 18 years of age, whois part of any kind of regular or irregular armed force or armed group in any capacity,including, but not limited to: cooks, porters, messengers, and anyone accompanyingsuch groups other than family members. It includes girls and boys recruited for forcedsexual purposes and/or forced marriage. The definition, therefore, not only refers to achild who carries, or has carried, weapons (Based on the ‘Cape Town Principles’, 1997).For more information:http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/inclusive-education/child-soldiers/http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/issues/children/http://teachunicef.org/explore/topic/child-traffickinghttps://www.icrc.org/en/war-and-law/protected-persons/children
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