Many are kidnapped from their homes and made to perform brutal acts as soldiers, such as killing their own parents or siblings. Others are forced into sexual slavery or serve as army cooks and porters. And, while some volunteer because of the attraction to power or a lack of economic and social alternatives, all who survive remain scarred for life. The use of child soldiers has become attractive because many of the afflicted states suffer from protracted, internal wars. These wars are often fought with greater passion and intensity than interstate conflicts, often creating a shortage of manpower that can easily be filled by young people, Otunnu says.
Young people are vulnerable and less able to defend themselves from being dragged away to war.
They are impressionable and innocent and thus can be molded into efficient, effective, ruthless tools of war. As a result, children suffer disproportionately in war. One of the ways Otunnu has tried to stop the use of child soldiers is by travelling to war zones to negotiate directly with governments as well as rebel leaders and warlords. Otunnu maintains that this is a hopeful sign, but admits that it will be difficult to monitor these commitments. In addition to travelling to war zones, Otunnu spends countless hours meeting with officials from governments, institutions, and non-governmental organizations from Washington DC to Tokyo to London.