Journal of Peacebuilding and Development
2019

Refugees and Recruitment: Understanding Violations Against Children in Armed Conflict With Novel Data (Article)

Atkinson K.E.*
  • a U.S. Air Force, Honolulu, HI, United States

Abstract

What makes child recruitment into armed conflict more likely? Violations against children in armed conflict pose a significant challenge to conflict resolution, long-term peacebuilding efforts, and international stability, yet little data are available on a global scale to understand the scope and causes of child recruitment into conflict. This article makes two contributions towards closing this analytical gap. First, utilising annual reports of the United Nations Secretary-General on children and armed conflict, this article codes child recruitment and other grave violations against children for 28 countries from 2006 to 2015 producing a new data set. Second, using this data set, this article examines the broad role of displacement in shaping child recruitment into armed conflict. Ultimately, this article finds that displacement within a country is positively and statistically significantly correlated with violations against children in armed conflict to include child recruitment and introduces policy recommendations for engaging this finding. © The Author(s) 2019.

Author Keywords

UNHCR Refugee Child recruitment Development displacement

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85074107844&doi=10.1177%2f1542316619879679&partnerID=40&md5=14fe5f107f54bc28932dcfc01debcb7b

DOI: 10.1177/1542316619879679
ISSN: 15423166
Original Language: English