Whats the problem?

Military recruitment: unethical

UK armed forces recruitment practices are largely unethical

  • The armed forces target recruitment campaigns on disadvantaged young people, failing to properly inform them of the difficulties and obligations of a military career.
  • The UK is the only EU country to recruit 16-year-olds into the armed forces.
  • Recruits under 18 commit themselves to up to 6 year's service before they are adults.
  • Adult recruits commit themselves for up to 4 year's service with a long notice period, and must join the reserves afterwards.
  • Whilst some people join the armed forces for positive reasons, others sign up as a last resort because they can’t find another job.
  • Recruits are not normally informed about their rights to express moral objections to military operations.
  • Armed forces personnel face significant risks during service, including psychological harm, and many struggle to resettle into civilian life.

Unethical military recruitment practices

Recruiting child soldiers

Children as young as 15 years, 7 months can apply for the Army. The UK remains the only EU country to recruit 16 year olds into the military and one of very few EU countries to recruit 17 year olds. The UN and the UK Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights have requested that the UK reconsider its policy of recruitment of children into the military, that ethnic minorities and children of low-income families are not targeted, that parents are included in the process from the outset and that the limited discharge rights for child soldiers are reviewed.

Targeting the young & vulnerable

Non-officer recruitment draws mostly on young people from 16 years of age living in disadvantaged communities, with many recruits joining as a last resort. Increasingly, very young children are being targeted as potential recruits in schools and through the media, games and advertising. Research, and general observation, indicates that children are introduced to the potential benefits of a forces career but not to its risks, and that warfare is glamorised and sanitised

How the military interests and recruits young people

Many recruitment tools capitalise on the impressionability of young people by presenting a glamorous view of armed forces life without the risks, legal obligations  and ethical issues involved.

These include:

  • internet and TV campaigns such as ‘Start Thinking Soldier’
  • recruitment offices and ‘army showrooms’
  • bespoke computer games and access to military hardware in schools and local communities
  • ‘career advisors’, school presentation and youth teams and other free resources offered to schools, youth and community groups
  • the Camouflage Club and Altitude - information websites aimed at under 18s
  • the Cadet forces
  • MoD-sponsored toys and dressing-up clothes aimed at children as young as five. 

We campaign to raise the age of recruitment into the armed forces to 18 years. See more here.

This campaign has the support of organisations concerned with the rights and welfare of children and young people, as well as a high level of public support. Child Soldiers International are also working to raise the age of recruitment.

We also hightlight concerns about the way that young people are recruited, focusing on military activity in schools.

Headteacher Chris Gabbett is one supporter of the campaign to raise the age of recruitment:

I am Principal at Trinity Catholic School in Leamington Spa and I fully support the initiative to raise the enlistment age for the British military from 16 to 18. At the age of 16, our young people are still, in so many ways, vulnerable.  We use the term ‘young adults’ and it is in its own way misleading; they aren’t THAT young and they are DEFINETELY not adults.  Rather, these are children who are still choosing the appropriate pathways to enable them to be consciously, politically and socially fully involved in an adult world.  It is cavalier to offer by means of mitigation the fact that soldiers are not deployed until they are 18, nor to insist that such a pathway offers an alternative to unemployment, lack of education or training.  Schools are now thoroughly equipped to offer a number of aspirational pathways to young people.  Further, a young person who pursues further study to 18 will probably be in a position to make a more informed and mature decision, with deeper aptitude and greater resilience.

Read on recruitment

The First Ambush: Effects of army training and employment
June 2017

This report from Veterans For Peace UK details how the Army's training process has a forceful impact on attitudes, health, and behaviour even before recruits are sent to war. The findings show that military training and culture combine with pre-existing issues (such as a childhood history of anti-social behaviour) to increase the risk of violence and alcohol misuse. Traumatic war experiences further exacerbate the problem.

The report explains that the main purpose of army training is to mould young civilians as soldiers who will follow orders by reflex and kill on demand. It demands unquestioning obedience, stimulates aggression and antagonism, overpowers a healthy person’s inhibition to killing, and dehumanises the opponent in the recruit’s imagination. Recruits are taught that stressful situations are overcome through dominance.

The First Ambush? Effects of army training and employment (70pp) draws on veterans’ testimony and around 200 studies, mainly from the UK and US, to explore the effects of army employment on recruits, particularly during initial training.

 

 read more >>
Read more and download the report
adjusting to civilian life, alternatives viewpoints, legislation and policy, PTSD and mental health, recruitment, recruitment age, risks, terms of service, Veterans for Peace UK, veterans' experience
Soldiers at 16 - The other side of the story
January 2017

Army adverts don't tell you what being a soldier is really like.

At 17, Wayne Sharrocks joined the infantry. His training made him obey the army completely, until it had control of how he thought and what he did. He says that by the end of his training he could have killed another person right in front of him 'at the flick of a switch' with ‘an insane amount of aggression’. He now thinks army training is 'massively damaging' to the mind of a young person.

After he turned 18 Wayne was sent to Afghanistan. There he saw a friend’s legs ripped off and another friend killed. He was injured in the face. Nothing in his training could protect him or his friends.

He couldn't just ‘switch off’ his army training after he left, he says, which caused him all sorts of problems.

Now Wayne thinks that the army shouldn’t be recruiting 16 and 17 year-olds. While it still does, he believes it's better to wait until you’re 18 before deciding whether to join up.

Find out about Wayne's time in the army in these 3-minute videos:

 read more >>
See all 11 films here
Read more facts about recruitment of young people
adjusting to civilian life, alternatives viewpoints, Child Soldiers International, legislation and policy, PTSD and mental health, recruitment, recruitment age, risks, veterans' experience
The Recruitment of Children by the UK Armed Forces: a Critique from Health Professionals
October 2016

Medact’s report on the long-term impacts of the British military’s recruitment of children under the age of 18, presents evidence linking ‘serious health concerns’ with the policy, and calls for a rise in the minimum recruitment age.

The report’s findings include:

  • Child recruits are more vulnerable to PTSD, alcohol abuse, self-harm, suicide, death and injury during an armed forces career when compared to adult recruits.
  • Military recruitment marketing takes advantage of adolescent cognitive and psychosocial vulnerabilities.
  • The current practices for recruiting children in to the British armed forces do not meet the criteria for full and informed consent.
  • Those recruited as children, upon turning 18, are more likely than adult recruits to end up in frontline combat roles which carry greater risks than other roles.

The UK is one only a handful of countries worldwide to still allow recruitment from age 16, a policy which has been strongly criticised by multiple UN and UK parliamentary bodies, child rights organisations and human rights groups.

 read more >>
Download the report
legislation and policy, Medact, PTSD and mental health, recruitment age, risks
UN observations on UK and childrens' rights
June 2016

The Committee on the Rights of the Child recently reviewed the UK's position on implementing the articles and protocols of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. They made a number of recommendations relating to the armed forces recruitment of under-18s and the military's activities in schools.
See our report for the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
See our article on the UN, child rights and the UK military
human rights, legislation and policy, military in schools, recruitment, recruitment age, United Nations
Soldiers at 16: Sifting fact from fiction
March 2016

Published by Child Soldiers International, this short and accessible booklet addresses questions often raised about under-18s in the armed forces, presenting the facts - based on extensive research - rather than the fiction. Also contains very useful quotes and statistics. Great when talking to your MP or for those thinking of enlisting!

Despite this widespread unease about the policy of recruiting 16 and 17 years olds into the armed forces, a number of common misconceptions still lead many under-18s to leave their education early and enlist. This booklet examines these ‘myths’ in light of the evidence available.

‘The fact that the British armed forces continue to recruit from the age of 16 sets a poor example internationally and impedes global efforts to end the use of child soldiers. The Army surely does not need to make youngsters sign up formally at such a young age – there have to be other, better ways to meet our requirements whilst respecting our human rights obligations.’

Major General (retd) Tim Cross CBE

 read more >>
Download the booklet
See more from Child Soldiers International
Child Soldiers International, legislation and policy, PTSD and mental health, recruitment age, risks, terms of service
'Commonsense and Understanding': Recommendations from the Defence Committee's Duty of Care report that are still outstanding 10 years on
December 2015

This report highlights seven recommendations from the Defence Committee’s report Duty of Care: Third Report of Session 2004-05 which have not been partially or fully implemented, and around which substantial concerns remain.

This report goes on to present additional evidence and arguments about the experience of the youngest recruits including lower educationlal standards within the armed forces; evidence that the youngest recruits are subject to higher physical and mental health risks, than older recruits, and have poorer long-term outcomes; and, understanding that adolescence is a period of on-going maturation and vulnerability.

This report then discusses the concept of 'in loco parentis' and 'moral obligation' with regard to the army's duty of care towards young recruits, noting that the Defence Committee were concerned in 2005 that the MoD distinguished too rigidly between legal and moral obligations, with the latter as less important. 

In 2005, the Defence Committee discussed the lack of balance beween training needs and considerations for operational effectiveness, and thus made its recommendations. Ten years on, it is apparent that operational arguments, and current difficulties meeting recruiting targets, continue to prevent the armed forces from reviewing both their position on enlisting under-18s, and their recruitment practices and materials.

Raising the age of recruitment would prioritise the best interest of young people recruited in the armed forces, who would benefit from recruits who are more mature and do not need additional duty of care requirments. 

 read more >>
Download the report
Deepcut, human rights, legislation and policy, PTSD and mental health, recruitment, recruitment age, risks, terms of service
Concerns about armed forces visits to secondary schools in Wales
August 2015

This briefing is a response to the 2012-13 Welsh Assembly Petitions Committee’s investigation into UK armed forces ‘recruitment’ in schools in Wales, following the petition Stop the Army Recruiting in Schools (P-04-432) submitted by the Fellowship of Reconciliation Wales. The Petition Committee’s final report on their consideration of the petition was published in June 2015.

This briefing supports the Petition Committee’s recommendations to the Welsh Government by presentingthe key evidence that armed forces visits to secondary schools in Wales:

  • are disproportionately high to schools in more disadvantaged areas;
  • do not present a balanced view of the armed forces;
  • and, are more numerous and more career-focused than visits by most other employers(particularly the emergency services).

This briefing also presents evidence that:

  • armed forces visits to schools are motivated by an agenda of engaging students in a long-termrecruitment process;
  • quality and transparency of armed forces record-keeping makes a full study of the extent of visitsto schools problematic.
 read more >>
Download the report
Read our response to the Welsh Government's accepting the recommendations
legislation and policy, military in schools, recruitment, Wales
The British Armed Forces: Propaganda in the classroom?
March 2015

produced by Quaker Peace & Social Witness

To accompany the ForcesWatch report A critical response to 'The British Armed Forces: Learning Resource 2014'

read more >>
education, military ethos, military in schools, military in society, public relations, recruitment

See other resources on recruitment practices

Ask your MP to support raising the age of recruitment

See here

Thinking of joining up / already in the forces

Before You Sign Up is a vital resource for those with questions about the consequences of enlisting in the military. At Ease is a voluntary organisation providing advice and information to members of the Armed Forces. For more information on these independent sources of advice and for other things to look at, see our before you enlist page.

also see

Academics: Armed forces are no place for 16-year-olds
12/09/2017 Various

A letter to the Guardian (12/09/17) from more than 50 academics has called for the age of recruitment ot the UK armed forces to be raised to 18. It backs a conference motion from SNP Youth in support of this.
British Army targets working class kids
10/07/2017 The Guardian and The Independent

The Army's latest recruitment campaign focuses on low income families from cities with high deprivation levels.
As A Teenage Soldier I Was Numb, Focused On War And Ready To Kill The Enemy
13/06/2017 Huffington Post

"Joining at 16 is massively psychologically damaging and issues of PTSD, suicide and depression are major issues for veterans, and more so for teenage recruits. I think it is hugely important the recruitment age is raised. I now work with Veterans for Peace as a volunteer educating young people on the realities of war and support advocacy group Child Soldiers International, who recently launched its Declare18! campaign, to get governments to raise the age to 18."  By Wayne Sharrocks, former British Army officer
The militarisation of schools
23/01/2017 The Independent

The UK is one of few countries that allow minors to enlist. Despite calls to cease the recruitment of under-18s the Army is digging in to hold its ground.
This is Belonging
23/01/2017 Bella Caledonia

The new British Army advert is astonishing. Organised violence as antidote to anomie.
Army defies child rights campaigners, intensifies intake of 16-year-olds for riskiest roles
24/11/2016 Child Soldiers International press release

Figures released today reveal that the British Army has increased its intake of 16-year-olds in the past 12 months, defying calls from the UN, children’s rights organisations and others campaigning for an end to the recruitment of minors.
Parliament considers military visits to schools petition
23/11/2016 ForcesWatch press release

MSPs will consider what further action to take on a petition from ForcesWatch and Quakers in Scotland calling for increased transparency and scrutiny of armed forces visits to schools this Thursday (24 November).
Ask your MP and MSP to sign these parliamentary motions
23/11/2016

Ask your MP to sign an Early Day Motion on The Recruitment of Minors into the UK Armed Forces. If you are in Scotland, ask your MSP to sign a similar motion on the Medact Report on British Armed Forces Recruitment.
More media coverage of our petition to the Scottish Parliament
22/11/2016 various

Coverage highlights the Scottish Children's Commissioner concerns about the age of recruitment and armed forces visits to schools, and the motion in the Scottish Parliament about the vulnerabilities of young recruits, as discussed in the recent Medact report.
Under-18s in army 'face greater injury, death and mental health risks'
18/10/2016 Guardian

Recruiting children aged 16 and 17 into the British army places them at greater risk of death, injury and long-term mental health problems than those recruited as adults, according to a new report.
Media coverage of our petition to the Scottish Parliament
16/09/2016 various

On Thursday 15 September, ForcesWatch and Quakers in Scotland went to the Scottish Parliament to give evidence to the Public Petitions Committee about armed forces visits to schools.
Who goes there? Campaigners fight to keep military away from UK schools
30/08/2016 The Guardian

Britain is the only EU country to enlist 16-year-olds into the armed services and, say objectors, it starts with access to the classroom.
Government must take urgent action over Deepcut recommendations
02/06/2016 ForcesWatch press release

With the new inquest verdict into the death of Cheryl James at Deepcut, ForcesWatch is calling on Ministers to implement important recommendations for young recruits made in 2005.

See more relevant news

Risks

Significant risks

The majority of recent deaths in Afghanistan have been among the infantry. Younger recruits from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to join the infantry so they face the greatest risk. In addition to the risk of death or serious injury, many suffer post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental problems on return and experience other difficulties once back in civilian life, including harmful drinking and addiction, relationship breakdown, and a greater risk of suicide for young men.

Dissatisfaction

An inability to leave the forces legally before several years have elapsed almost certainly contributes to the number of personnel going absent without leave (AWOL). In the last 10 years, between 2000 and 3000 serving personnel have gone AWOL each year, mainly from the army.Those going AWOL risk a criminal conviction and punishment by detention.

Some resort to self harm, taking drugs to get caught and suicide attempts in order to find a way out.

The Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey reports that only about one third of armed forces personnel felt valued. About one fifth were dissatisfied with their job – that is many thousands of serving personnel who are likely to want to leave if they were able to.

read more on risks

The First Ambush: Effects of army training and employment

This report from Veterans For Peace UK details how the Army's training process has a forceful impact on attitudes, health, and behaviour even before recruits are sent to war. The findings show that military training and culture combine with pre-existing issues (such as a childhood history of anti-social behaviour) to increase the risk of violence and alcohol misuse. Traumatic war experiences further exacerbate the problem.

The report explains that the main purpose of army training is to mould young civilians as soldiers who will follow orders by reflex and kill on demand. It demands unquestioning obedience, stimulates aggression and antagonism, overpowers a healthy person’s inhibition to killing, and dehumanises the opponent in the recruit’s imagination. Recruits are taught that stressful situations are overcome through dominance.

The First Ambush? Effects of army training and employment (70pp) draws on veterans’ testimony and around 200 studies, mainly from the UK and US, to explore the effects of army employment on recruits, particularly during initial training.

 

 read more >>
Read more and download the report
adjusting to civilian life, alternatives viewpoints, legislation and policy, PTSD and mental health, recruitment, recruitment age, risks, terms of service, Veterans for Peace UK, veterans' experience
Does the military give young people a 'leg up'? The armed forces and social mobility

In early 2017, the Ministry of Defence, and Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon, praised the social mobility prospects offered by the military. They presented the military as a champion of social mobility for those who enlist in the lower ranks, and for recruits from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds with low educational attainment.

Michael Fallon was referring to figures that show that slightly under a third of officers across the forces progressed from lower ranks; he commended the Potential Officer Development Programme for demonstrating the military’s ‘commitment to social mobility.’

General Sir Nick Carter, Chief of the General Staff, suggested that social mobility was central to the aims of the Army, stating that, ‘The Army is a modern, inclusive employer and I want every recruit to be given the opportunity to fulfil their potential. Second Lieutenant Cousland is a tremendous example of how schemes like this can give those who don’t have the best possible start in life a leg up, while helping us maximise the talent of everyone in the Army.’

The Ministry of Defence and Fallon then listed ‘a host of other successful education initiatives aimed at being a vehicle for social mobility’.

This briefing explores if these claims about social mobility stand up to scrutiny or whether enlisting in the armed forces can have a negative impact upon social mobility, particularly for very young recruits.

It concludes that:

Those who are truly concerned with social mobility must challenge the promotion of the military within education in particular and call for a rise in the minimum recruitment age to 18. Young people from all backgrounds much be given a greater range of opportunities and the myth that the armed forces will guarantee a rewarding and long-term career must not be allowed to prevail.

 read more >>
Download the briefing
legislation and policy, military in schools, recruitment age, risks, social mobility
Is it Counterproductive to Enlist Minors into the Army?

This article, written by Child Soldiers International and published in the Royal United Service Institute Journal, argues that raising the UK enlistment age from 16 to 18 would bring benefits to young people and the British armed forces. The article explains that the UK’s low enlistment age is counterproductive internationally, as it implies to other countries that it is acceptable to use children under the age of 18 to staff national armed forces.  
Read the article
See other resources from Child Soldiers International
Child Soldiers International, legislation and policy, recruitment age, risks, terms of service
The Recruitment of Children by the UK Armed Forces: a Critique from Health Professionals

Medact’s report on the long-term impacts of the British military’s recruitment of children under the age of 18, presents evidence linking ‘serious health concerns’ with the policy, and calls for a rise in the minimum recruitment age.

The report’s findings include:

  • Child recruits are more vulnerable to PTSD, alcohol abuse, self-harm, suicide, death and injury during an armed forces career when compared to adult recruits.
  • Military recruitment marketing takes advantage of adolescent cognitive and psychosocial vulnerabilities.
  • The current practices for recruiting children in to the British armed forces do not meet the criteria for full and informed consent.
  • Those recruited as children, upon turning 18, are more likely than adult recruits to end up in frontline combat roles which carry greater risks than other roles.

The UK is one only a handful of countries worldwide to still allow recruitment from age 16, a policy which has been strongly criticised by multiple UN and UK parliamentary bodies, child rights organisations and human rights groups.

 read more >>
Download the report
legislation and policy, Medact, PTSD and mental health, recruitment age, risks
Soldiers at 16: Sifting fact from fiction

Published by Child Soldiers International, this short and accessible booklet addresses questions often raised about under-18s in the armed forces, presenting the facts - based on extensive research - rather than the fiction. Also contains very useful quotes and statistics. Great when talking to your MP or for those thinking of enlisting!

Despite this widespread unease about the policy of recruiting 16 and 17 years olds into the armed forces, a number of common misconceptions still lead many under-18s to leave their education early and enlist. This booklet examines these ‘myths’ in light of the evidence available.

‘The fact that the British armed forces continue to recruit from the age of 16 sets a poor example internationally and impedes global efforts to end the use of child soldiers. The Army surely does not need to make youngsters sign up formally at such a young age – there have to be other, better ways to meet our requirements whilst respecting our human rights obligations.’

Major General (retd) Tim Cross CBE

 read more >>
Download the booklet
See more from Child Soldiers International
Child Soldiers International, legislation and policy, PTSD and mental health, recruitment age, risks, terms of service
'Commonsense and Understanding': Recommendations from the Defence Committee's Duty of Care report that are still outstanding 10 years on

This report highlights seven recommendations from the Defence Committee’s report Duty of Care: Third Report of Session 2004-05 which have not been partially or fully implemented, and around which substantial concerns remain.

This report goes on to present additional evidence and arguments about the experience of the youngest recruits including lower educationlal standards within the armed forces; evidence that the youngest recruits are subject to higher physical and mental health risks, than older recruits, and have poorer long-term outcomes; and, understanding that adolescence is a period of on-going maturation and vulnerability.

This report then discusses the concept of 'in loco parentis' and 'moral obligation' with regard to the army's duty of care towards young recruits, noting that the Defence Committee were concerned in 2005 that the MoD distinguished too rigidly between legal and moral obligations, with the latter as less important. 

In 2005, the Defence Committee discussed the lack of balance beween training needs and considerations for operational effectiveness, and thus made its recommendations. Ten years on, it is apparent that operational arguments, and current difficulties meeting recruiting targets, continue to prevent the armed forces from reviewing both their position on enlisting under-18s, and their recruitment practices and materials.

Raising the age of recruitment would prioritise the best interest of young people recruited in the armed forces, who would benefit from recruits who are more mature and do not need additional duty of care requirments. 

 read more >>
Download the report
Deepcut, human rights, legislation and policy, PTSD and mental health, recruitment, recruitment age, risks, terms of service
ForcesWatch submission to Defence Select Committee inquiry on Military Casualties

ForcesWatch's submission to the Defence Select Committee inquiry on Military Casualties draws on our research published in The Last Ambush and concludes that:

  • The continued targeted recruitment of minors from disadvantaged backgrounds deserves to be re-appraised from the perspective of long-term mental health risks that this group faces. 
  • Where possible, we hope that the development of military health research will better specify personnel who face higher and lower risks.
  • Future research could also better account for personnel who show some symptoms of mental ill-health but are not counted as full ‘cases’ of a specific ‘disorder’. 
  • A large number of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are likely to need mental health support services for years to come.  It falls to the state to take prime responsibility for ensuring that the long-term welfare needs of injured veterans are met.  That is an expensive undertaking, which it behoves any government to appreciate and accept before deciding whether to send young men and women to war
 read more >>
Read on parliament.uk
legislation and policy, mental health, recruitment age, risks
The Last Ambush? Aspects of mental health in the British armed forces

This report from ForcesWatch, shows that young soldiers recruited from disadvantaged backgrounds are substantially more likely than other troops to return from war experiencing problems with their mental health. It calls for the policy of recruiting from age 16 to be reviewed so that the greatest burden of risk is not left to the youngest, most vulnerable recruits to shoulder.

Download the full report (PDF 1294kb)

Download the Executive Summary (PDF 268kb)

 read more >>
Read the press release
adjusting to civilian life, legislation and policy, PTSD and mental health, recruitment age, risks, veterans' experience
Young age at Army enlistment is associated with greater war zone risks: An analysis of British Army fatalities in Afghanistan

This paper, published by ForcesWatch and Child Soldiers International, indicates that the risk of fatality in Afghanistan for British Army recruits aged 16 and completed training has been twice as high as it has for those enlisting at 18 or above. This increased risk reflects the disproportionately high number of 16 year olds who join front-line Infantry roles. This is mainly the result of recruitment policies which drive the youngest recruits into the Army’s most dangerous roles.

 read more >>
Read the report
Read the press release
PTSD and mental health, recruitment age, risks
ForcesWatch submission to Defence Select Committee Future Army 2020 inquiry

ForcesWatch's submission to the Defence Committee's inquiry Future Army 2020, which recomments an evaluation of the case for an independent review of the minimum age of recruitment into the Army with a view to recruiting only adults (aged 18 and above) in the future, looking at five reasons why the time is right for this.

 read more >>
Read on parliament.uk
legislation and policy, recruitment age, risks

Ask your MP to support raising the age of recruitment

See here

Thinking of joining up / already in the forces

Before You Sign Up is a vital resource for those with questions about the consequences of enlisting in the military. At Ease is a voluntary organisation providing advice and information to members of the Armed Forces. For more information on these independent sources of advice and for other things to look at, see our before you enlist page.

more info & advice

For more on terms of service and the risks involved with being in the armed forces see guidance.

news on risks associated with the armed forces

Why We Must Take Children Out Of Military Environments
22/09/2017 ForcesWatch comment

This article was first published on Huffington Post

With former Army Foundation College Harrogate instructors facing court martial for mistreating recruits, we look at the evidence that military environment facilitate threats to child welfare.

Health through Peace workshops on British military recruitment and young people

Join us at the Medact/International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War Health Through Peace conference in York from 4-6 September, where ForcesWatch are part of a roundtable discussion on British Military Recruitment and Marketing strategies and part of a workshop on challenging military influence in universities and schools. Click here to find out more and register for the event.

Army recruitment practices exploit and widen class divisions
10/07/2017 ForcesWatch comment

New evidence confirms that the British Army recruitment marketing deliberately targets working-class young people.

British Army targets working class kids
10/07/2017 The Guardian and The Independent

The Army's latest recruitment campaign focuses on low income families from cities with high deprivation levels.

Stripping the Civilian – how army training isolates, disorientates and dominates recruits
04/07/2017 ForcesWatch comment

New findings highlight need to protect young people from harsh military training environments and inadequate safeguards in cadet forces.

The First Ambush: Effects of army training and employment
04/07/2017 Veterans For Peace UK

A new report out today from Veterans For Peace UK details how the Army's training process has a 'forceful impact' on attitudes, health, and behaviour even before recruits are sent to war. 

As A Teenage Soldier I Was Numb, Focused On War And Ready To Kill The Enemy
13/06/2017 Huffington Post

"Joining at 16 is massively psychologically damaging and issues of PTSD, suicide and depression are major issues for veterans, and more so for teenage recruits. I think it is hugely important the recruitment age is raised. I now work with Veterans for Peace as a volunteer educating young people on the realities of war and support advocacy group Child Soldiers International, who recently launched its Declare18! campaign, to get governments to raise the age to 18."  By Wayne Sharrocks, former British Army officer

The militarisation of schools
23/01/2017 The Independent

The UK is one of few countries that allow minors to enlist. Despite calls to cease the recruitment of under-18s the Army is digging in to hold its ground.

Army life: the other side of the story
18/01/2017 ForcesWatch comment

Telling adolescents that they can resolve their need to belong by joining the Army is simplistic and one-sided. The reality is many aspects of army life are potentially harmful, especially to vulnerable individuals. The other side of the story needs to be told.

Enlisting at 16: the other side of the story
09/01/2017 Child Soldiers International

This series of 2-minute films by Child Soldiers International give a powerful insight into the reality of signing up as a young recruit, how training brutalises young soldiers and the long-term harmful effects of training and combat.

Army defies child rights campaigners, intensifies intake of 16-year-olds for riskiest roles
24/11/2016 Child Soldiers International press release

Figures released today reveal that the British Army has increased its intake of 16-year-olds in the past 12 months, defying calls from the UN, children’s rights organisations and others campaigning for an end to the recruitment of minors.

Under-18s in army 'face greater injury, death and mental health risks'
18/10/2016 Guardian

Recruiting children aged 16 and 17 into the British army places them at greater risk of death, injury and long-term mental health problems than those recruited as adults, according to a new report.

Government must take urgent action over Deepcut recommendations
02/06/2016 ForcesWatch press release

With the new inquest verdict into the death of Cheryl James at Deepcut, ForcesWatch is calling on Ministers to implement important recommendations for young recruits made in 2005.

5 Soldiers: The Body is the Frontline.
12/05/2016 Lauren Bryden & Poppy Kohner, from Resist Militarism

Lauren Bryden & Poppy Kohner explore the implications of Rosie Kay’s production of 5 Soldiers: The Body Is The Frontline, a dance piece exploring the ‘physicality’ of war and its effect on soldiers' bodies.  While captivating and enlightening, does placing the body at the centre of the narrative of war obscure political comment on what these bodies do and, crucially, why they do it? The support of the production by the British Army and their presence at the event raises important questions about the role of the military in public arts spaces.

New report shows that important duty of care recommendations have not been implemented by the armed forces
16/12/2015 ForcesWatch press release

Ahead of the House of Commons debate on the Armed Forces Bill on Wednesday 16 December, ForcesWatch has published a new report calling for a change in the law ending military recruitment under 18 years of age.

Army urged to stop using armed teenagers to guard barracks
16/12/2015 The Guardian

ForcesWatch report calls on UK military to stop recruiting minors altogether, as armed forces bill due for third reading

ForcesWatch welcomes Welsh Government stance over military visits to schools
23/09/2015 ForcesWatch press release

The Welsh Government has been praised by ForcesWatch over a “groundbreaking” decision to support in principle more research into how the armed forces operate in secondary schools in Wales.

British Veterans Made Some Dark Films to Protest the UK Army's Recruitment of 16-Year-Olds
30/06/2015 Vice

Cogent article on the context of the striking new short film from Veterans for Peace UK, 'Action Man: Battlefield Casualties' , which presents a new range of war-traumatised action men.

Armed forces not required to offer soldiers aged 16-17 the same standard of education that is required in civilian life
30/06/2015 Child Soldiers International

Compulsory education for 16-17s: research reveals that the armed forces are not required to give child soldiers the same minimum standard as civilian institutions. The minimum attainment requirement of the Army (which has the vast majority of children in the armed forces) is shown to be very low.

6 veterans per day seeking post-traumatic stress help – military charity
31/03/2015 RT

Experts warn the “floodgates” of post-traumatic stress are about to open, as a top armed forces charity claims mental health issues among military personnel have risen 26 percent over the last year.

Ex-Army Solihull schoolteacher given life ban after punching students and pulling their hair
31/07/2014 Birmingham Mail

An ex-Army school teacher in Solihull was given a life ban from teaching after punching and pulling the hair of students.

an ex-Army school teacher in Solihull is given a

life ban from teaching for punching and pulling the hair of students

British armed forces suffer record levels of alcohol abuse
13/05/2014 The Guardian

More than 1,600 service personnel required medical treatment in the past year

Post-traumatic stress disorder is the invisible scar of war
13/05/2014 Telegraph

Not all Afghan veterans will suffer from mental trauma – but we owe a debt to those who do

Armed forces are incapable of dealing with bullying
13/03/2014 Channel 4 news

Channel 4 report on how the MoD deal with bullying and assault in the armed forces and new indications that they recognise that the chain of command is part of the problem. Can it be tackled if the new Ombudsman that the MoD has announced will not be independent?

Cpl Anne-Marie Ellement inquest: Military bullying debate reopened
03/03/2014 BBC online

A second inquest into the death of Cpl Anne-Marie Ellement, who was found hanged, has found the effect of an alleged rape by two serviceman and bullying by colleagues were factors in her taking her own life.

Rape and sexual assaults in the military need more than 'kangaroo court' justice
03/03/2014 The Guardian

Informal and unaccountable 'in-house' procedures mean hundreds of allegations go unquestioned

Female soldier hanged herself at barracks after 'Army did not charge soldiers she claimed raped her'
03/02/2014 Telegraph

Inquest hears how The Royal Military Police woman complained to her mother that she was depressed after senior commanders decided not to pursue her claim

Bullying in armed forces on rise, MoD figures reveal
01/02/2014 The Guardian

Call for urgent overhaul of military justice as MP highlights plight of servicewomen alleging sexual offences

Army cuts: Simon Weston say signing up 'not worth risk'
23/01/2014 BBC Online

Falklands War veteran Simon Weston says the latest defence cuts make him think that joining the forces is "not worth the risk".

Warning over reservists risk of mental illness
21/01/2014 British Forces News

The Defence Committee hears evidence about mental health risks in the armed forces.

Broken by war: the Army reservist still battling with combat stress - and worried about declining mental health support for the growing ranks of part-time soldiers
15/01/2014 Independent

‘Most people soon forget about their nightmares … I don’t’

Review into criminal offending by armed forces veterans
11/01/2014 BBC online

Ministers accept that the transition to civilian life can have its problems

Militarisation in everyday life in the UK: a conference report
26/11/2013 ForcesWatch comment

Many areas of society in the UK have seen a growing involvement and/or visibility of the military and military approaches in recent years - from schools, to local communities, to ‘militainment’ (military-themed films, TV programmes, video games etc). This process of privileging and prioritising the military is often referred to as ‘militarisation’; Cynthia Enloe, one of the foremost thinkers on the subject, states that “To become militarised is to adopt militaristic values and priorities as one's own, to see military solutions as particularly effective, to see the world as a dangerous place best approached with militaristic attitudes.”

In response to the recent developments in the UK, there has been an increase in critical academic studies, media coverage, and work by campaigning organisations and others on these issues. On 19 October 2013, around 70 academics, activists, campaigners, and writers came together in London at the Militarisation in Everyday Life in the UK conference organised by ForcesWatch.

Raising the age of recruitment: an open letter and a cautious welcome of the MoD review
08/11/2013 ForcesWatch comment

ForcesWatch are among 24 signatories of an open letter to Mark Francois MP, Minister of State for the Armed Forces which calls for an end to the recruitment of under-18s.. The signatories include the Church of Scotland, the Church in Wales, the Unitarian Church and Catholic, Baptist, Methodist and Quaker groups and Child Soldiers International. The letter notes that as the centenary of the outbreak of World War One approaches, the recruitment and deployment age of British soldiers is lower now than it was a century ago. The signatories call on the Ministry to raise the recruitment age to 18 as a “fitting memorial” to the thousands of young soldiers killed in World War One.

Open letter to Minister of State for the Armed Forces on armed forces recruitment age

"We call for the minimum recruitment age to be returned to 18 years. This would be a fitting memorial to those thousands who, whether unlawfully recruited as minors during the First World War or recruited to fight in other conflicts, were exposed to death, injury and trauma that no child should ever experience."

Welsh bishops urge army to raise enlistment age to 18
08/11/2013 Wales Online

The Ministry of Defence has come under pressure from the Church in Wales and campaign group Child Soldiers International which is calling for an end to recruitment of under-18s to the Army

Bishops attack army on recruitment of minor while teen enlistment figures plummet
08/11/2013 Child Soldiers International

Recruitment of 16-year-olds down 40% on previous year; former Armed Forces minister says “Time is right” to review recruitment age

Drone Wars: Pilots Reveal Debilitating Stress Beyond Virtual Battlefield
05/11/2013 livescience.com

"To extinguish a person's life is a very personal thing. While physically we don't experience the five senses when we engage a target — unlike [how] an infantryman might — in my experience, the emotional impact on the operator is equal."

Defence ministry does cost-benefit analysis of recruiting under 18s
01/11/2013 The Guardian

After telling the Guardian it would not be revisiting its recruitment policy the MoD is doing exactly that

ForcesWatch response to the Ministry of Defence's statement about The Last Ambush, 28 October 2013
28/10/2013 ForcesWatch

In response to The Last Ambush report, the Ministry of Defence has issued a statement containing some claims that are either inaccurate or not relevant to the report’s findings. Here we respond to each claim in turn.

War trauma hits young soldiers hardest: new report
28/10/2013 ForcesWatch press release

Young soldiers recruited from disadvantaged backgrounds are substantially more likely than other troops to return from war experiencing problems with their mental health, says a wide-ranging report published today by human rights group ForcesWatch.

British army: one young recruit's story
28/10/2013 The Guardian

Britain is one of just 19 countries that still recruit 16-year-olds to the armed forces. A new report from ForcesWatch claims that younger recruits are more likely to suffer from PTSD, alcohol problems and suicide than those who join as adults. This video tells the story of David Buck who joined the army at 17 but now feels he was conned by misleading recruitment marketing.

Young British army recruits at higher risk of PTSD and suicide, says report
28/10/2013 The Guardian

Former soldiers criticise MoD recruitment practices, with Britain one of only 19 countries to allow 16-year-olds to join up

PTSD 'most common in young soldiers' says new report
28/10/2013 BBC Newsbeat article and video

Soldiers who join the Army as teenagers are more likely to suffer from mental health problems after being deployed, a new report suggests.

PTSD report finds veterans from disadvantaged backgrounds most at risk
28/10/2013 Wales Online

Forces Watch report calls for the minimum age of recruitment to be raised to 18 to avoid exposing the youngest soldiers to the most trauma

Mental health warning for young soldiers
28/10/2013 British Forces News film report

Young soldiers from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to suffer from mental health problems, according to a report out today published by lobby group Forces Watch.

Confessions of a Drone Warrior
23/10/2013 GQ Magazine

Killing with drones and PTSD

Tortured: Young Army recruit tells how he went AWOL after becoming a victim of brutal bullying
08/09/2013 The Mirror

“It all lasted about 10 minutes. If it was to happen in civvy street, all those lads in that picture would be arrested. But it’s a normal day in the Army.”

Youngest Army recruits pay highest price in Afghanistan, new report shows
22/08/2013 ForcesWatch and Child Soldiers International press release

The risk of fatality in Afghanistan for recruits who enlisted into the British Army aged 16 and completed training has been twice as high as it has for those enlisting at 18 or above, according to a study published today on behalf of human rights groups Child Soldiers International and ForcesWatch. The authors believe the increased risk reflects the disproportionately high number of 16 year olds who join front-line Infantry roles.

ForcesWatch response to the Ministry of Defence's statement, 22 August 2013
22/08/2013 ForcesWatch

In response to the paper, ‘Young age at Army enlistment is associated with greater war zone risks’, published by ForcesWatch and Child Soldiers International (August 2013), the Ministry of Defence have issued a statement. Here we respond to their points.

Young soldiers 'more likely to die'
22/08/2013 Evening Standard
Soldiers serving in Afghanistan who joined the Army at 16 are twice as likely to die than those who joined at 18 or above, a new report has claimed. Human rights groups Child Soldiers International and Forces Watch, who were behind the study, said the increased risk reflected the "disproportionately high" number of 16-year-olds who join front-line infantry roles.
The inescapable psychological cost of conflict
15/03/2013 ForcesWatch comment

A study published in the Lancet called Violent offending by UK military personnel deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan has found that men in the UK armed forces are more likely to have been convicted of violent offences than their civilian peers. The study shows a strong link with age – that fighting and being traumatised by it tends to make those in younger age groups more likely to be violent afterwards.

Combat soldiers more likely to commit violent crimes: study
15/03/2013 Reuters

British soldiers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan - particularly young men and those who have seen active combat - are more likely to commit violent crimes than their civilian counterparts, according to research published on Friday.

Recently... on 'moral injury' and armed forces suicides in the US and UK
15/02/2013 ForcesWatch comment

2012 was the the first year 'in at least a generation' in which a greater number of currently-serving US Army soldiers killed themselves (177) than were killed in active duty (176).

US military struggling to stop suicide epidemic among war veterans
01/02/2013 The Guardian

Last year, more active-duty soldiers killed themselves than died in combat. And after a decade of deployments to war zones, the Pentagon is bracing for things to get much worse

Fifty troops commit suicide after Iraq and Afghanistan tours
19/12/2012 The Telegraph

More than 50 members of the UK Armed Forces have committed suicide since serving in the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, figures suggest.

The suffering of veterans
14/12/2012 Owen Everett, ForcesWatch

A play about and starring injured veterans, and recent government data and policies, highlights their suffering.

Bullying 'seen as acceptable in Army' as survey reveals every woman questioned was victim of unwanted attention
29/11/2012 Telegraph

Bullying is perceived as “acceptable” among some in the Army, according to an internal report that found every single woman questioned said they had been the victim of unwanted sexual attention.

"It's not a game"
26/11/2012 Owen Everett, ForcesWatch

Each of the episodes from both series of Our War focuses on a different platoon or company, with varying missions during their tours in Helmand Province (which dated from between 2006 and 2012). Common themes to each of them include the youth of those involved, and the gravity of what is being asked of them.

Judge fears 'Deepcut' culture remains after 'cover up' of army recruit sexual abuse
26/11/2012 Telegragh

Military staff have failed to learn the lessons of the Deepcut Review and continue to turn a blind eye to the bullying and abuse of young recruits, a judge has claimed.

Critical portrayals of life in the armed forces in two West End plays
19/10/2012 Owen Everett, ForcesWatch

There are two plays on in London's West End currently that depict life in the UK military, and they do so critically. Our Boys', by Jonathan Lewis, at the Duchess Theatre is a revival, having first been performed in 1993. Sandi Toksvig's Bully Boy is at the St James Theatre. There is considerable similarity in the themes of the two plays: why young men join the armed forces, how they are often neglected when injured, and the horror of contemporary war in general.

Recently...sexual assault and bullying in the armed forces
17/09/2012 ForcesWatch comment

A parliamentary question reveals that during 2011 there were 228 allegations of bullying or harassment reported to the Service Complaints Commissioner. Another parliamentary question has identified that 'Over the past two and a half years, there have been 53 reported rapes and 86 reported sexual assaults in the Army, the Navy and the Air Force (one per week). Labour MP Madeleine Moon said she was concerned there was a 'culture of silence', with hundreds of victims never reporting attacks.

One sex attack reported by Armed Forces every week... but real figure could be much higher
27/08/2012 Daily Mail

One rape or sexual assault is reported by members of the Armed Forces every week. The MP who released the figures believes they could be a huge underestimate, with the true figures closer to an attack a day.

The War On Suicide?
23/07/2012 Time Magazine

More U.S. military personnel have died by suicide since the war in Afghanistan began than have died fighting there. The rate jumped 80% from 2004 to 2008, and while it leveled off in 2010 and 2011, it has soared 18% this year. Suicide has passed road accidents as the leading noncombat cause of death among U.S. troops.

Why does the UK have the highest proportion of young infantry deaths in Afghanistan
02/05/2012 ForcesWatch comment

The deaths of 6 soldiers recently in one incident was particularly tragic because of how young some of them were. Four of the six who died were under 21 years old; one was only 19.

Seeking the roots of a U.S. soldier's shooting rampage
12/03/2012 Reuters

In the search for an explanation of why a U.S. soldier left his base in Afghanistan at night and killed 16 civilians in their homes, some experts have raised the possibility that mental illness or a brain injury played a role in the massacre.

In Afghan Civilian Killing Rampage, U.S. Soldier May Have Gone 'Berserk'
12/03/2012 Huffington Post

The U.S. soldier who allegedly attacked and killed 16 Afghan civilians Sunday may have experienced a relatively rare state of mental derangement characterized by a blind killing rage, a disregard of pain and danger, and a total disconnection from his fellow troops, military mental health specialists said.

Alcohol misuse 'significantly higher' in armed forces
15/12/2011 The Guardian

Calls for Ministry of Defence to look at why 13% of military have a drink problem compared to 6% in general population

Report into military veterans in prison
24/06/2011 BFBS

An inquiry into former armed service personnel in prison has found no evidence that having served for your country makes veterans more likely to end up in prison than civilians.

But the Howard League for Penal Reform report did find military veterans are twice as likely to become convicted sex offenders than members of the general public and that veterans are more likely to commit violent offences.

How soldiers deal with the job of killing
11/06/2011 BBC online

"We talk about destroying, engaging, dropping, bagging - you don't hear the word killing”. This article explores the effect of killing on people in the military, how many are unable to kill and others live with the effects of having killed for the rest of their lives. Also see The Kill Factor radio broadcasts.

Bullying, harassment and racism complaints soar in the Armed Forces
01/04/2011 Daily Mail

Complaints of bullying, harassment, racism and sexism in the Armed Forces have leapt 50 per cent in a year, a report revealed yesterday.

Ex-military more likely to be jailed for violent and sexual offences
10/11/2010 Ekklesia

Veterans in both the US and UK are more likely to serve prison sentences for violent and sexual offences than those in the civilian population.

From hero to zero
04/04/2010 Sunday Times
Michael Clohessy returned from Iraq with a distinguished war record — and ended up in prison. Our jails are swollen with former soldiers. Why can’t they stay out of trouble?
One in 10 Army recruits 'bullied and intimidated'
16/11/2008 The Independent

A decade after Deepcut, MoD reports reveal failure to tackle problem affecting hundreds of trainees.

more news items

ethical dilemmas and conscientious objection

Taking an active part in conflict involves serious ethical questions regarding the justification of killing and the political purposes of military action. The armed forces does not adequately address these concerns during recruitment and for serving personnel.

Active service and exposure to warfare can radically alter a person’s values and beliefs and lead to the development of an objection to further service. Although the armed forces recognise the right of serving personnel to be discharged if they develop a conscientious objection, this right is not set out clearly in legislation, is not mentioned in the terms of service, the process of declaring an objection on moral grounds is very opaque and many, perhaps most, forces personnel are unaware of it.

The system for registering a conscientious objection needs to be far easier to access and the different types of conscientious objection need to be fully recognised.

There is evidence that many more soldiers have objected to recent military activity than officially recorded. Discharges due to conscientious objection are rare with personnel encouraged to suppress their concerns, be discharged on other grounds or find other ways of leaving such as going absent without leave. High profile cases of court martial and detention of those who have refused to obey orders based on moral objections are set to deter others and also hinder understanding of an individual’s right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

ForcesWatch are campaigning to increase awareness of conscientious objection and make the process of applying for it more transparent. See more here.

supporting conscientious objectors

Conscientious objector, Michael Lyons has been released (9 Nov 2011). Michael, a medic in the Royal Navy, was sentenced to 7 months detention on 5 July 2011, for 'wilful disobedience' for not taking part in rifle training while his request for discharge as a conscientious objector was proceeding.

Michael joined up at 18 after seeing a TV advert depicting the Navy providing humanitarian aid overseas. At that age he was unaware of the realities of war. His desire to help people and his growing awareness in current affairs, determined his application to become a conscientious objector.

On 13 Oct 2011, an appeal against Michael's detention was held at the High Court (read press release). Although the appeal was unsuccessful, the judges expressed some concerns about the procedure for conscientious objectors. Michael is still awaiting the full written judgement.

ForcesWatch, along with other groups, have provided support for Michael and his family during his case. Michael also received many, many letters and cards, from people who wished to show their support for him during his detention. He has now left the Navy and looks forward to pursuing a career in the medical services.

read on conscientious objection

Conscientious objection to military service
March 2013

The Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights has published a guide to applicable international standards and jurisprudence relating to conscientious objection to military service.

It is designed as a guide for 'State officials who are responsible for implementing laws, administrative decrees or regulations relating to conscientious objection to military service, as well as Members of Parliament and Government officials who may be involved in drafting laws or administrative decrees or regulations on this subject.'

Additionally, the publication (below) 'is intended to guide individuals who may be called to perform military service and are unsure of what their rights are in this regard, and how and when they can be exercised.'

read more >>
Download the guide here
conscientious objection
International Standards on Conscientious Objection to Military Service
November 2011

Published by the Quaker United Nations Office in November 2011, this short booklet reflects recent changes in international law and practice that indicates that recognition of conscientious objection to military service as a human right is now stronger than ever. The publication in available in English, French or Spanish.

read more >>
Read the publication
See more about conscientious objection on the Quaker UN office website
conscientious objection, human rights, legislation and policy
European Court of Human Rights ruling on rights of conscientious objectors: case of Bayatyan v. Armenia
July 2011

European Court of Human Rights catching up with UN Human Rights Committee

On 7 July 2011, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights finally recognised the right to conscientious objection as a right protected under article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights. In its judgement in the case of Bayatyan v. Armenia, the court has ruled that states have a duty to respect individuals’ right to conscientious objection to military service as part of their obligation to respect the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion set out in Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

This is the first time that the right of conscientious objection to military service has been explicitly recognised under the European Convention on Human Rights.

read more >>
Read the full judgement
Read the joint statement of Amnesty International, Conscience & Peace Tax International, International Commission of Jurists, Quaker United Nations Office, Geneva, and War Resisters' International
conscientious objection
ForcesWatch briefing on Conscientious Objection
January 2011

The armed forces recognise the right of serving personnel to be discharged if they develop a conscientious objection.  But this right is not set out clearly in legislation, is not mentioned in the terms of service and many, perhaps most, forces personnel are unaware of it.  The system for registering a conscientious objection is opaque and little information about it is easily available.  

A briefing outlining the issues and recommendations of how to make registering a conscientious objection accessible to armed forces personnel.

Download the briefing
Armed Forces Bill 2011, conscientious objection
Council of Europe Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)4 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on human rights of members of the armed forces
February 2010

The Council of Europe Recommendation on Human Rights of Members of the Armed Forces lists rights and freedoms that should be respected and implemented in the Armed Forces, including that, members of the armed forces have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; access to relevant information; the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and to freedom of association with others; and, enjoy the right to vote and to stand for election.

read more >>
Read the full recommendation
Read the Explantary Memorandum
conscientious objection, human rights, legislation and policy
Professional soldiers and the right to conscientious objection in the European Union
October 2008

Tobias Pflüger, MEP

This publication gives a detailed overview of the right to conscientious objection in the countries of the European Union (including candidate countries), and as far as possible of practices regarding this right. It has become obvious that the situation regarding the right to conscientious objection within the European Union is not good. Most countries of the EU are far from conforming with the existing international standards: of the United Nations, the Council of Europe, or the European Parliament.

It looks at the situation country by county. For the UK it concludes that: 

  • The regulations governing the right to conscientious objection are not in the public domain, and information is difficult to obtain by members of the public, and also by members of the Armed Forces.
  • Decision making on an application for conscientious objection in the first instance is by the respective branch of the Armed Forces itself, and not by an independent body. Only the appeal body – the Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objectors – is an independent body.
read more >>
Download the report here (pdf)
Download the pages looking at the situation in the UK (pdf)
conscientious objection, legislation and policy

see more on conscientious objection

Who were the conscientious objectors of the first world war?

Guardian Data has extracted details of 654 records from the National Archive to look at who conscientiously objected to the first world war and why

 read more >>
Look at the data
ForcesWatch submission to Armed Forces Bill 2011

ForcesWatch's submission to the Armed Forces Bill committee raising concerns relating to the human rights of service personnel with the Armed Forces Bill Committee and making a number of recommendations to bring the UK into line with current international standards and improve terms of service.

 read more >>
Read on parliament.uk
Winter Soldier

winter soldierThe Winter Soldier project, organised by the United States based group, Iraq Veterans Against War, details eyewitness accounts from Iraq and Afghanistan. Much of the testimony focuses on the individual soldier’s experience and how they felt about their participation and actions. Six episodes have been created for web viewing (or can be downloaded), e.g. Broken Soldier which tells the stories of 3 soldiers.
Go to the IVAW website
View the list of episodes
Informed Choice? Armed forces recruitment practice in the United Kingdom

An independent report by David Gee, published in 2007, highlighting the risks posed to young people through joining the military, how young people from disadvantaged communities are targeted, how information available to potential recruits is often misleading and how the terms of service are complicated, confusing and severely restricting. The research found that a large proportion join for negative reasons, including the lack of civilian career options.

 read more >>
Read the report
Download the executive summary
Conscientious Objection Project

This archive and educational materials resource has an extensive collection of materials which tell the stories of the men and women conscientious objectors of the 20th century. It documents their experiences, videos their recollections, promotes their ideals and publishes teaching resources.

 read more >>
See more about the CO Project

"An armed forces career involves ethical questions associated with the justification of killing, the risk of civilian casualties and the political purposes of military action. In order to make a responsible choice about enlistment, all potential recruits need to have considered these issues before accepting the legal obligations of service, and to continue to do so during their career. In omitting to mention ethical dilemmas, the army recruitment literature and applications process fail to support potential recruits in making an informed decision about enlistment in this respect."

Informed Choice? Armed forces recruitment practice in the United Kingdom

Need advice on conscientious objection?

Details and advice relating to how to register a conscientous objection can been found on our page for those already in the armed forces. This information has been difficult to access, even for serving personnel.

news on conscientious objection

Bringing it up to date: 100 years on from the First World War
16/03/2016 ForcesWatch comment

This article, summarising our work, was first published on the White Feather Diaries website: "Publishing the diaries of conscientious objectors of WWI. To refuse to kill is a cause worth dying for."

Poet Lydia Towsey challenges military influence in schools
06/01/2016 3thehardwaypoets.wordpress.com

Video of the poet Lydia Towsey performing her new spoken-word poem, 'Daisy', which criticises the UK military's influence in schools.

Veterans for Peace UK members discard their war medals in protest
09/12/2015 various

Documentation of recent  Veterans for Peace UK events, especially four members yesterday discarding their war medals outside Downing Street yesterday in a powerful protest agains the UK bombing of Syria.

'Why militarism now? And why target schools?'
01/01/2015 Quaker Voices

'The new tide of militarisation' which Quaker Peace and Social Witness produced in March 2014 was a timely document drawing attention to the ever-present appearance of the military in British society. If militarisation is 'the process by which a society organises itself for military conflict and violence', militarism is the ideology underpinning it. Never entirely absent, from time to time it re-emerges into prominence with increased vigour and purpose. Why now, and why should schools be particularly targeted?

Videos of our Education Campaign worker speaking about our work
01/10/2014 Watford Quakers

Our Education Campaign worker Owen Everett was interviewed for a new short film about conscientious objectors during the First World War, 'Watford's Quiet Heroes: Resisting the Great War'. His full interview, in which he talks about ForcesWatch's three main areas of work scrutinising UK military recruitment and the influence of the military and military approaches today, is available to watch on YouTube (it is also one of the extra features on the DVD, which can be bought here). You can also watch a video of Owen and others speaking on the relevance of the film and the questions it raises to the situation today, as part of a panel at the launch of the film, here. 

The price of pacifism: Refusing to go to war is finally being recognised as a brave act
18/05/2013 Independent

From the Second World War refusenik to the 19-year-old Israeli, Holly Williams talks to five people who risked shame and suffering to take a stand as conscientious objector.

Conscientious objector Joe Glenton on being jailed for refusing to fight
15/05/2013 Metro

Joe Glenton, a former soldier in the British army, has served his country and risked his life in Afghanistan. He’s also been called a coward. The reason? After returning to Britain after his first tour of Afghanistan, he became a conscientious objector (CO) and refused to go back.

see more news on conscientious objection

also see

New critical thinking resources from The Citizenship Foundation
28/07/2015 The Citizenship Foundation

The Citizenship Foundation's new resources focus on facilitating primary school students' critical thinking skills. Discussing the military in this rigorous way would give students a more balanced impression of armed forces life.
Government accused of failing to make progress on improving PSHE in schools
16/07/2015 Schools Week, ForcesWatch

The Education Select Committee has accused the Government of failing to make progress on improving PSHE in schools. PSHE could be a good place for students to take part in informed, balanced discussion on the military.
Read more on the Education Select Committee's recent criticisms of the Government regarding PSHE
Read more about the history of the PSHE debate between the Department for Education and the Education Select Committee
Iraq abuse whistleblower Nick Mercer: 'Schools must teach speaking truth to power'
25/12/2014 The Independent

Children should be given lessons in human rights to give them the courage to blow the whistle on abuses they witness as adults, according to an ex-Army lawyer who went public with his concerns about the mistreatment of Iraqis.
Read the article here
Discussions on PSHE and careers guidance in schools between the Education Select Committee and the Department for Education
17/12/2014 Parliament.uk

The Department for Education and Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE): Ofsted finds 40% of PSHE teaching either requires improvement or is inadequate (it is not compulsory for schools to teach it); the DfE only gives £75,000 for PSHE Association, compared to £millions for ‘alternative provision with a military ethos’; and schools are not adhering to requirement to publish what they cover in PSHE on their websites. DfE and careers guidance: drop in provision since government transferred responsibility to schools; expectation for teachers ‘to signpost pupils towards appropriate sources of independent careers guidance’.   
Read the full PSHE discussion transcript here
Read the full DfE response to the ESC careers guidance report here
Foreign Secretary rejects allegations of torture
13/01/2014 British Forces News

Human rights lawyers have drawn on the cases of more than 400 Iraqis, arguing they represent "thousands of allegations of mistreatment amounting to war crimes of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment".
Read the full article
I wept as I comforted our soldiers maimed in Iraq': How could I tell them Blair's 'just war' was an illusion?
12/11/2011 Daily Mail

"We can best pay tribute to their sacrifices by ensuring that in the future no British sailor, soldier, Marine or airman is asked to lay down their life except for the most urgent and honourable of causes."
Read the full article
How soldiers deal with the job of killing
11/06/2011 BBC online

"We talk about destroying, engaging, dropping, bagging - you don't hear the word killing”. This article explores the effect of killing on people in the military, how many are unable to kill and others live with the effects of having killed for the rest of their lives. Also see The Kill Factor radio broadcasts.
Read the full article
Listen to The Kill Factor on the BBC
The Kill Factor

These BBC radio programmes explore the effect of killing on people in the military, how many are unable to kill and others live with the effects of having killed for the rest of their lives.

 read more >>
Listen to the programmes
Read 'How soldiers deal with the job of killing'

Critical debate

There is concern that some government initiatives, such as Armed Forces Day, seek to manufacture a climate of uncritical national pride in the armed forces in order to garner public support for foreign policy. Unqualified support of the military and foreign policy stigmatises legitimate concerns about how young people are recruited for the armed forces within our communities, and limits debate on alternatives to war. Widespread critical awareness of the risks and legal obligations of an armed forces career is essential if young people are to make an informed, responsible choice about enlistment.

Critical debate: vital

  • Do government projects like Armed Forces Day honour armed forces personnel or seek to manufacture public support for military intervention overseas?
  • Does uncritical support for the military stifle concerns about how young people are recruited and limit debate on alternatives to war?
  • Is it appropriate for the military to be visiting schools when their objective is clearly stated as recruitment and influencing young people and should the military be involved in providing education alternatives?
  • Why is the UK the only EU country to recruit 16 year olds into the armed forces and one of very few to recruit 17 year olds? There is a growing international concensus the only adults should be recruited, yet the Ministry of Defence have denied that there is a need to review this policy.
  • In order to make informed and responsible choices about enlisting, young people and their parents need to be fully aware of the risks and legal obligations of military careers.
  • Armed conflict causes enormous damage to all involved; widespread public debate about the role of the armed forces and their recruitment practices is therefore vital.

 

See more on our work to change the law on recruitment of under-18s into the military and other issues

See more on our Military Out Of Schools campaign

See more on our work looking at the military in society more generally

Militarisation in everyday life in the UK
An event in October 2013 which brought together academics, writers, activists and campaigners who are researching, writing, campaigning on the implications of militarisation of UK society. See more here including background reading and films of presentations.

At a comfortable distance from warfare, our culture easily passes over its horrific reality in favour of an appealing, even romantic, spectacle of war. Yet, over the last decade, most Britons have opposed Western military ventures abroad. This book takes a fresh look at a culture of militarism in Britain, public resistance to it, and the government's prodigious efforts to regain control of the story we tell ourselves about war.  See details & buy book