When Children Revolt: The Syrian Scenario

Children across the Arab world emulated adults calling for the downfall of the regimes. In some cases, they poked fun at dictators and sung protest slogans. But when they are drawn into the conflict, the physical and psychological repercussions can be severe.

Damascus — The Syrian uprising erupted after school children sprayed anti-regime Graffiti on a wall in the town of Daraa and were tortured for it. The participation of children in the uprising, as imitation of adult behavior, left them exposed to harsh experiences.

Saleh Brek, a psychology specialist at the University of Damascus, explains: “Among different age stages, adolescence is the stage most susceptible to exploitation. This is due to the fact that adolescents need to express themselves as independent adults with free thoughts and aspirations. Many adults exploit that need in order to pass their own messages.”

Social and psychological needs of children are affected by the demographic reality of the country. Syria is currently undergoing a population explosion that cannot tolerate any new pressures. “The fact that children spend most of their time on streets is a major factor in their involvement in the [current] political conflict,” Brek says. “There are no sports or recreational clubs to keep children away from streets or adult gatherings.”

The media plays a major role in mobilization, as well. Satellite TV channels frequently display images of murdered children and videos of children giving rebellious speeches. That results in the ‘saturation’ of the viewer, who becomes used to seeing violent images. In this way, the participation of children in protests becomes a familiar scene. Thus, children imitate what they see on TV.

In all cases, children pay the highest price in the current situation. Many legal and procedural violations are committed against children, without taking into account the fact that they are minors. Attorney Daad Mousa indicates that the Syrian government is indifferent to the children’s rights treaties it has signed and Syrian laws concerning delinquent children, which play a role in protecting children and ban the use of violence against them. Daad adds that the law of delinquents states that “children under the age of ten do hold a criminal responsibility.” The law states that children should be tried and confined in special places. They should not be held accountable for such violations like taking part in a protest.

But what is currently happening in Syria is contrary to what the law states. Children are being murdered, tortured, and kidnapped for protesting. They are even being tried in the same manner as adults. Security forces do not distinguish between children and adults in recent popular gatherings. Reports indicate that the vulnerability of children was used as a pressure card or a tool in the hands of security forces. These forces claim that terrorist groups are killing the children. According to them, “it is unreasonable that the government is killing its own children.”

The Syrian security forces remain oblivious to, if not ignorant of, the impending disaster. Children face direct violence through arrest and kidnapping. They are also exposed to indirect violence through images of murder and aggression on TV. Moreover, children witness the violent conduct of security forces when arresting a protester in the street or a family member at home.

Ali Akil, a child protection specialist, believes that “the Syrian generation currently facing violence is subject to psychological and social disorders. They have a high possibility of acquiring post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Implications of the shock on children include anxiety, fear, and sleep disorders. In this regard, Brek warns that the Syrian people “are heading towards a serious disaster. Children who were exposed to security pressures in the current crisis are part of a generation heavily armed with related disorders.”

Brek suggests that Syrian children are more likely to suffer from socio-psychiatric disorders. “These disorders appear in the form of obsession or severe depression. They could even result in serial killing. In this case, the patient kills individuals of a certain category, often that which caused him pain in childhood. It is fair to say that victims of violence are future aggressors in the post-traumatic phase.”

In Syria, children constitute more than a third of the population. A large number of the protesters are aged between 10 and 16, and the Syrian security forces do not reserve special treatment to adolescents when it comes to the use of force or detention. The violence is likely to influence infants as well, turning entire generations into psychiatric patients in the making.

This article is an edited stranslation from the Arabic Edition.