UNICEF have released a working paper on ‘Children’s Involvement in Organised Violence: Emerging trends and knowledge gaps’. This highlights the pressures, vulnerabilities and causes behind children around the world aged 10-18 participating in organised crime, violent networks and non-state armed groups. Research is accumulated by 20 experts on modern slavery, human trafficking and country experts. As well as addressing root causes of child criminality, such as socioeconomic vulnerabilities, lack of access to education, lack of parental structure, psychological factors such as identity and self-doubt, a significant and growing factor for Generation Z is the pursuit of online fame and access of recruiters to children through online mechanisms. The report calls for the child offenders to be rehabilitated and treated as victims, rather than incarcerated by addressing justice and accountability. Prevention methods are recommended to focus on mental health psychosocial intervention, support for parents and family at the community level, and social, economic and political factors at the structural level. 

For the full working paper ‘Children’s Involvement in Organised Violence: Emerging trends and knowledge gaps’ see here.