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The Forgotten Ones: Domestic Child Soldiers In The United States, Jesse Bach

Biennial Conference: The Social Practice of Human Rights

The term child soldier conjures up images of a war-torn Sub-Saharan African child holding a battle-worn rifle, staring into the distance of an uncertain future. Their story is well known: A paramilitary organization entered an area and forcibly recruited children to engage in conflict — protecting arms, drugs, or "turf." Through the marketing of the child soldier story and its emotional response, the international community has been moved to action through hosting awareness raising campaigns, generating mass donations for care, and establishing recovery and rehabilitation programs.

There is no doubt that the international child soldier is viewed as a victim …