Suicide bombing is the act of individuals taking out their lives by personally detonating explosives to cause the highest possible damage. The motive is always to kill other people by killing themselves in the process. Suicide bombing has become the new way of undertaking terrorist activities in many parts of the world (Asad, 2007). Examples of suicide killers include Boko Haram in Nigeria, the Taliban in Afghanistan, and the ISIS in Syria. However, the issue of using children in suicide bombings has become a regular phenomenon among terrorist organizations. Many strategies need to be involved in reducing the incorporation of children in bombing activities, and the U.S must deter the menace completely.
Terrorists prefer suicide bombings nowadays because of the drama it causes, and it is very cost effective in their budgets. Suicide bombing offers minimal risks for the terror masters because in most cases, it is difficult to trace the evidence. Severally, videos have been trending online of children getting involved in extreme terror activities. The issue has caused many problems for the U.S security and the world at large. For example, in Pakistan, the Taliban started recruiting children as terrorists in 2005. They undergo sophisticated training, and by the time they reach in their teens, they are prime to carry out deadly suicide attacks. Children enter into terrorism mainly because of poor social and economic conditions in their homes. A solution should be offered in that line. When families and governments fail to make children feel physically safe in their environment, it gives them an opportunity to prove themselves by joining terrorist organizations and carrying out suicide attacks (Butler, 2002).
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Religion has played a massive role in the growth of terrorism. There have been multiple reports of children being taken to religious institutions and places of worship to be radicalized. The government needs to undertake stringent measures about religious teachings. It is crucial to creating a framework under which religious teachings will entail, though it is a challenging course. The courses and lessons should be well monitored to deter the extremists of taking advantage and recruiting children as suicide bombers under the pretense of religion.
The number of children suicide bombers has tripled recently according to the survey conducted by UNICEF. The reason is economic hardships. Most of the children used as suicide bombers find themselves in such situations because of hopelessness. Without education and essential amenities such as food and shelter, in their naivety, they opt to join terrorists to take care of themselves. Reaching there, they find themselves in irreversible situations through hard training, torture, and agents of suicide bombings. They are forced which makes children victims, not terrorists. Offering educational support and economic care will reduce the involvement of children in bombing campaigns. For example in Nigeria, children testified they joined Boko Haram due to hard economic conditions for their families (Onuoha, 2012). Emotional and social support is vital for the children. Children want to feel safe, secure and in a loving environment. When families and the government neglect children, it opens up an avenue to be abducted and used as suicide bombers. The U.S government must provide security to children to deter the use of children in a suicide bombing.
In conclusion, the future of the world is in jeopardy if suicide bombings by children continue to increase. They usually lead to massive loss of lives because it is easy for children to maneuver security and carry out attacks. Nevertheless, to reduce it, the U.S must ensure improved living conditions by empowering impoverished societies economically. Children must also feel safe and secure in their environment, and religious teachings must be well monitored.
References
Asad, T. (2007). On suicide bombing. Columbia University Press.
Butler, L. (2002). Suicide bombers: Dignity, despair, and the need for hope. Journal of Palestine Studies, 31 (4), 71.
Onuoha, F. C. (2012). Boko Haram: Nigeria's Extremist Islamic Sect. Al Jazeera Centre for Studies, 29 (2), 1-6.
