Why

Why employ children rather than adults?

Frankly, there are many twisted advantages to utilizing children in armed combat. They do not have to be paid salaries and have no way of surviving on their own without the support of an army, meaning desertion is unlikely. Easily brainwashed, children make loyal soldiers and become desensitized to violence, therefore rarely questioning orders. Also, children can serve as sex slaves, cooks, spies, and porters. Because of their small size and large population, children are useful and effective in war.

Furthermore, many children voluntarily join armed groups to avenge the death of family. Other times, parents and villages give up their children in exchange for safety. More often than not, child soldiers are shunned from their communities and are never accepted back.