PREVENTING AND RESPONDING TO VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN RECRUITED AND EXPLOITED BY TERRORIST AND VIOL

PREVENTING AND RESPONDING TO VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN RECRUITED AND EXPLOITED BY TERRORIST AND VIOLENT EXTREMIST GROUPSAN INITIATIVE UNDER THE UNODC GLOBAL PROGRAMME ON VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN

CHALLENGE

Children recruited and exploited by terrorist and violent extremist groups are often victims of extreme violence, including ferocious recruitment methods, enslavement, sexual exploitation, exposure to constant fear, indoctrination and psychological pressure. These children subjected to violence at multiple levels, and, at the same time, have the potential to become particularly dangerous instruments in the hands of those exploiting them and/or instrumentalizing them for committing criminal and terrorism-related offences. Countries are increasingly facing challenges in combining effective prevention and responses to violence perpetrated against children, while at the same time providing adequate accountability mechanisms to preserve public safety. The current wave of returning foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) also poses emerging threats and challenges to law enforcement and judicial authorities to deal with child returnees from conflict zones.