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Army 'recruiting children as young as seven in schools', claims study
Last updated at 00:52am on 08.01.08Children as young as seven are being groomed for recruitment by the Army, which gives a "glamorised" and "gamelike" view of warfare, it has been claimed.
A study, funded by a Leftwing trust, says increasingly young children are being given a "misleading" picture of life in the armed forces, with vital information left out and risks ignored.
The Ministry of Defence rejected the claims, saying much of the study was "incorrect and ill-informed".
It agreed that junior schools were visited by Army education teams, but insisted this was to raise awareness of the forces rather than to target children as future recruits.
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School visit: A pupil is shown a gun
Britain is the only EU state to recruit military personnel as young as 16.
The study was carried out with funding from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. Researcher David Gee said the Army faced a challenge to find recruits because fewer people wanted to join up, partly because of negative publicity over the conflict in Iraq.
His report says: "Recruitment literature emphasises potential benefits: Career interest and challenge, comradeship, the active lifestyle, travel and training opportunities.
"It omits to mention or obscures the radical change from a civilian to a military lifestyle, ethical issues involved in killing, risks to physical and mental health . . . and the right of conscientious objection."
The report says children and adolescents are the main target groups for recruitment, with methods including school visits, literature and local cadet forces.
It adds: "As the pool of potential recruits shrinks, outreach to children is expanding, including to those as young as seven.
"Key messages are tailored to children's interests and values: Military roles are promotedas glamorous and exciting, warfare is portrayed as game-like and enjoyable, and outreach to the young is described as serving their personal growth and education."
Half of recruits aged between 16 and 22 try to leave the Army, while one in five of all soldiers wants to leave at the earliest opportunity, said the report.
The MoD said: "Our recruitment practices avoid 'glamorising war' and we reject any allegation that they depict warfare as 'game-like'.
"The Services do not target people under the age of 16.
"The recruiting process is designed to protect the interests of the applicants at every stage, regardless of age.
"Parents of applicants aged under 18 are required to complete a formal written consent form, which has to be witnessed by someone of standing in the community, before the applicant can enter service."
The MoD said there had been a 4.3 per cent increase in the number of recruits in the year to last September, while 2,000 soldiers had signed up to stay for two more years.
Reader views (8)
THe military usually appeals to people at an age where they are not old enough or experienced enough to understand the real dangers of joining. WHen i was 20 and thought about joining i had no idea about the risks involved because they were not very publicised in 2002. THen i didnt no about the gruesome injuries you can suffer in the military as i no now. MOst young people are not aware just how serious it could be for them
- Mike, torbay
very good because to show him what is going on in the world
- Joe, liverpool egnlish
Don't forget to mention some under 18 years of age sent to conflict not long ago.
But then which government cares about law these days!
- Laurent, London Uk
Having found out yesterday that my 16 year old godson is considering joining the Army this report is timely for me. He is under all kinds of wrong impressions about his legal obligations and has a rather one-sided view of what a military career would be like. At age 16 he is perfectly capable of making balanced decisions. But at such a young and sheltered age he does not have sufficient breadth of experience and disillusionment with adult life to make a decision which is profitable for him.
- John, Manchester
The Army offers a meritocratic structure where those with talent, energy and ambition can really make something of their lives. Of course the Army has been far too dependent for far too long on attracting the the 16/17 age group and some of the advertising for recruits is frankly silly. But it is uniquely equipped to give these yoing men and women the environment in which they can quickly mature. Just read some of the citations for bravery in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Army is not a separate organisation from society but a group of people that have taken up the fundamentallly vital task of national defence that most of the rest of us would rather pay others to do and for the most part doing it superbly.
- Peter Haldane, London
There are 'risks'?! Surely not!
Does the report mention that for most of these recruits, the alternative life offered them by the Government was to leave school early with no profession or qualifications and to then sit around their parents' house playing computer war-games, or hanging around on the streets, all the time wondering what to do with the rest of their lives?
The army gives stacks of youngsters self-respect, a profession which can often be used in civilain life (eg mechanic), a group of worth-while mates, global travel, physical and mental challenges and some (though admittedly not much) money. For many of them, that's going to be glamourous. It's not the army's fault if the Government of the day sends it into an illegal war.
- Roz, Chamonix, France
David Gee's "research" is lazy, politically motivated and insulting, and a total waste of charitable money. I remember Army talks at school, and was in the cadets for a couple of years, but I've never had the slightest inclination to join up as a regular (or territorial), and never felt any undue pressure or indoctrination to do so.
Whether debaters like Gee like it or not, the Army plays a huge role in British life and culture, and it is vital that everyone understands its role (and this has nothing to do with patriotism).
For many, the forces offer training and a huge range of valuable skills, and it's certainly a more honest and valuable career path than writing biased, half-baked research like this.
The key point is that children are much smarter than this report gives them credit for. They are able to make informed choices (it's also perfectly clear that parental consent is required for anyone joining up under the age of 18). Let's just hope the majority of them don't end up churning out patronising drivel for the Rowntree Foundation.
- Mark, London
This is yet another example of the NuLabour funded lefty money wasting claptrap we have come to expect. Does the report also mention how this goverment is the one who sent the troops to Iraq in the first place, and how poorly they are treated by the MoD, both in the battle field and then on their return to Britain.
- Blind Pugh, Addlestone, UK
