Child soldiers: the use of children in the army. Child soldiers have three different roles in armed conflicts. They can take direct part in hostilities or be used as support, as sex slaves, lookouts, messengers and spies. Furthermore, they can be used in the political aspect of war. Because many children have been harmed physically or mentally by their participation in armed conflict, children should not be involved in any armed conflict and should be removed indefinitely from war. Every child has the right to go to school, free from violence. Children have been used in the military for hundreds of years. Child soldiers are not a new phenomenon. Child fighters have been used on battlefields throughout history. The first appearances of children involved in wars date back to the Bronze Age. It was customary for children in the Mediterranean area to serve as charioteers, armor bearers, and helpers to lords, knights, and other adult soldiers. This was mandatory for these children to succeed their adult mentors. Examples can be found in older literature. In the Bible, David is King Saul's armor bearer. Another example is the story, in Greek mythology, of Hercules and Hyla. Hylas learned to be a soldier when he served as Hercules' armor bearer. In the Children's Crusade of 1212, many children enlisted with the idea that only divine power would lead them to victory. Although none of the children actually went into combat, they were sold into slavery for war profit. Perhaps one of the most notable examples is the Hitler Jugend, or Hitler Youth, in the final days of World War II; the Hitler Youth organization "prepared boys for military service" (Hitler Y...... half of document ......ben. "Child soldiers around the world". Council on Foreign Relations. December 2, 2005 . Web. 10 December 2011. Machel, Grace. "Children in conflict: Child soldiers - Children in conflict." Child Soldiers International "Working to stop the use of children around the world" Web. 10 December 2011 "Uganda: Child Soldiers at the Center of a Growing Humanitarian Crisis." Welcome to the United Nations: It's Your World. 10 December 2011. "What's Happening?: Child Soldiers in Sierra Leone." your world, December 10th. 2011. .