Many of these victims are women and children. The light weight and small size of these weapons has made it possible for combatants to compel children to become soldiers. Dissidents, organizers, activists, journalists.
Small arms are the principal tool of intimidation used by repressive police and military forces.
Armed conflict often creates the crises that relief workers are called in to alleviate. In addition, aid workers are increasingly coming under fire. The U.N. has found that small arms pose the greatest threat to international troops seeking to establish or maintain peace. In some parts of the world businesspeople are often kidnapped or extorted with these arms. More generally, the widespread diffusion of light weapons undermines economic development and contributes to the collapse of some economies.