... of newspapers. Less often but equally disturbingly, stories of girls pressed into the service of the military surface in the media. An unprecedented number of children have been drawn into active participation in warfare. Many children are forced into fighting; others are pushed into it by poverty and crises in their communities; some may be seduced by promises of glory or excitement. Children as young as eight or ten are transformed into merciless killers, committing the most horrific atrocities with apparent indifference or even pride. Children's involvement in armed conflict is not a recent phenomenon. In the past, young people have been at the forefront of political conflict in many parts of the world, even when it has turned violent. Today, however, the problem has grown to such magnitude that it has attracted public notice. What is new is not just the visibility of civil wars but also that children ...

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