Investigators have pointed to an alarming increase in the use of child soldiers in conflicts around the world. Children, as young as eight years old, often coming from impoverished or politically unstable communities, are forcibly recruited into armed groups in exchange for promises of protection or economic opportunity.
The impacts of this exploitation are devastating. Beyond facing threats to their lives, exposure to extreme violence has a direct correlation with long-term psychological trauma. In this gallery, learn more about the children caught at the cross fire. Click on for more.