Army recruiters 'misleading young'

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Children as young as seven are now being targeted with a "glamorised" view of warfare, according to a study backed by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.

Author David Gee said the Army faced a bigger challenge to take on new recruits because fewer people wanted to join up, partly because of negative publicity over the conflict in Iraq and improvements to education opportunities in the UK.

Efforts to attract young people to a military career are intensifying, especially among those below the recruitment age of 16, said the report, which the Ministry of Defence described as "ill informed and incorrect".

The report said: "Recruitment literature for army careers 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."

Children and adolescents were the main target groups for recruitment, with methods including visits to schools, literature and local cadet forces, said the report.

"Key messages are tailored to children's interests and values: military roles are promoted as 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."

The report recommended sweeping changes to armed forces' recruitment policies, including a new charter setting out the state's responsibilities, a radical review of recruitment literature, phasing out recruitment of minors and new rights for recruits to leave the service.

An MoD spokesman said some of the assertions were "incorrect and ill-informed" and some of the evidence in the report was out of date.