Counter-recruitment
Counter-recruitmentrefers to activity opposingmilitary recruitment,in some or all of its forms. Among the methods used areresearch,consciousness-raising,political advocacyanddirect action.Most such activity is a response to recruitment by statearmed forces,but may also targetintelligence agencies,private military companies,andnon-state armed groups.
Rationale
[edit]The rationale for counter-recruitment activity may be based on any of the following reasons:
- The view that war is immoral - seepacifism.
- The view that some military organizations are a tool ofimperialism- seeanti-imperialism.
- Evidence from Australia, Canada, France, the UK, and the US that abusive behaviour such asbullying,racism,sexismandsexual violence,andhomophobiaare common in military organizations.[1]See, for example,Women in the militaryandSexual orientation and gender identity in military service.
- Evidence from the UK and US thatmilitary trainingand employment lead to higher rates of mental health and behavioural problems than are usually found in civilian life, particularly after personnel have left the armed forces.[2]
- Evidence from Germany, Israel, the UK, and the US thatrecruiting practicessanitise war, glorify the role ofmilitary personnel,and obscure the risks and obligations of military employment, thereby misleading potential recruits, particularlyadolescentsfromsocio-economically deprivedbackgrounds.[3]
- Evidence from Germany, the UK, and elsewhere that recruiters target, and capitalise on the precarious position of socio-economically deprived young people as potential recruits.[4]
- The fact that some armed forces rely on children aged 16 or 17 to fill their ranks, and evidence from Australia, Israel, the UK and from the Vietnam era in the US that these youngest recruits are most likely to be adversely affected by the demands and risks of military life.[5]
Armed forces spokespeople have defended thestatus quoby recourse to the following:
- The view that military organizations provide a valuable public service.
- Anecdotal evidence that military employment benefits young people.[6]
- The view that duty of care policies protect recruits from harm.[7]
Activity
[edit]Examples of counter-recruitment activity are:
- Researchand analysis ofmilitary recruitmentpractices, and of the effects and outcomes ofmilitary employment.[1][2]
- Legal advocacy (aimed at changing legislation) andpolitical advocacy(aimed at changing policy) to regulate or limit the scope ofmilitary recruitment.[7][8]
- Consciousness-raising to raise awareness and concern aboutmilitary recruitmentpractices and the effects ofmilitary trainingandemployment.[9][10][11]
- Providing information to potential recruits about the risks and obligations ofenlistment,[12][13]or discouraging enlistment.[14]
- Satirising the propagandistic glorification of military personnel.[15]
In the United States
[edit]Counter-recruitment (which has long been a strategy ofpacifistand otheranti-wargroups) received a boost in the United States with the unpopularity of thewar in Iraqand brief recruitment difficulties of branches of the U.S. military, particularly theArmy;although the Army has met, or exceeded, its recruitment goals year after year during that period. Beginning in early 2005, the U.S. counter-recruitment movement grew, particularly onhigh schoolandcollegecampuses, where it is often led by students who see themselves as targeted for military service in a war they do not support.
Early history
[edit]The counter-recruitment movement was the successor to the anti-draft movement with the end ofconscription in the United Statesin 1973, just after the end of theVietnam War.The military increased its recruiting efforts, with the total number of recruiters, recruiting stations, and dollars spent on recruiting each more than doubling between 1971 and 1974.[16]Anti-war and anti-draft activists responded with a number of initiatives, using tactics similar to those used by counter-recruiters today. Activists distributed leaflets to students, publicly debated recruiters, and used equal-access provisions to obtain space next to recruiters to dispute their claims. TheAmerican Friends Service Committee(A.F.S.C.) and theCentral Committee for Conscientious Objectors(C.C.C.O.) began publishing counter-recruitment literature and attempting to coordinate the movement nationally. These organizations have been continuously involved in counter-recruitment to the present day.[17]
High schools
[edit]Most counter-recruitment work in the U.S. is focused at the policy level of public school systems. This work is generally done by parents and grandparents of school-aged children, and the most common activity is information and advocacy with school officials (principals, school boards, etc.) and with the general population in their local school area. CR at the K12 level is categorically different from other movements, since most of the students are underaged minors and parents are their legal custodians and guardians, not the schools.
The most common policy goal is that the frequency of military recruiters' visits to public schools, their locations in schools, and their types of activities be controlled rather than unlimited. Many of the larger urban school districts have implemented such guidelines since 2001.
Other goals have included "truth in recruiting", that counselors or curriculum elements be implemented to address the deficiency in high school students' understanding of war and the military life, rather than allowing military recruiters to perform that role.
On high school campuses, counter-recruitment activists since 2001 have also focused around a provision of theNo Child Left Behind Act,which requires that high schools provide contact and other information to the military for all of their students who do not opt out.
Counter-recruitment campaigns have attempted to change school policy to ban recruiters regardless of the loss of federal funds, to be active about informing students of their ability to opt out, and/or to allow counter-recruiters access to students equal to the access given to military recruiters. These political campaigns have had some success, particularly in theLos Angelesarea, where one has been led by theCoalition Against Militarism in Our Schools,and theSan Francisco Bay Area.A simpler and easier, though perhaps less effective, strategy by counter-recruiters has been to show up before or after the school day and provide students entering or exiting their school with opt-out forms, produced by the local school district or by a sympathetic national legal organization such as theAmerican Civil Liberties Unionor theNational Lawyers Guild.
Organizations which have attempted to organize such campaigns on a national scale include A.F.S.C. and C.C.C.O., theCampus Antiwar Network(C.A.N.), and theWar Resisters League.Code Pink,with theRuckus Society,has sponsored training camps on counter-recruitment as well as producing informational literature for use by counter-recruiters.United for Peace and Justicehas counter-recruitment as one of its seven issue-specific campaigns. Mennonite Central Committee[18]is another resource on the subject. Some of these organizations focus on counter-recruitment in a specific sector, such as high schools or colleges, while theNational network Opposing the Militarization of Youth,[19]founded in 2004, deals with the larger issue of militarism as it affects young people and society.
In Canada
[edit]In response to theCanadian Forces' role as a member of theInternational Security Assistance Forcein Afghanistan, ananti-war movementdeveloped in Canada which has tried to utilize counter-recruitment as a part of its efforts. In particular,Operation Objectionemerged as the umbrella counter-recruitment campaign in Canada.[20]Operation Objection claimed to have active counter-recruitment operations in 8 to 10 Canadian cities.[21]However, coordinated attempts at counter-recruitment activism in Canada have been fairly limited as of late, and for the most part, unsuccessful.
In the 2005–06 academic year atYork University,theYork Federation of Students,a federation representing ten of the university's student unions, clashed with a Canadian Forces recruiter forcibly removing the recruiter and the kiosk from the Student Center. York University maintains that the Canadian Forces have the same right to recruit as any other employer participating in career fairs on campus.[22]
On October 25, 2007, an attempt by the student union at theUniversity of Victoriato ban Canadian Forces from participating in career fairs on campus failed when the student body voted overwhelmingly in favour of allowing the Canadian military to participate in recruitment and career development activities available to students. Approximately 500 students, five times the usual attendance, appeared at the Annual General Meeting of theUniversity of Victoria Students' Society(UVSS), and voted to defeat the motion proposed to stop the Canadian Forces from appearing on campus at career development events, with an estimated 25 votes in favour of the ban. Those voting against the ban argued that the ban was a restriction on freedom of choice and an infringement of students' free speech, that it went beyond the mandate of student government, and that student union executives should not be advocating policy that does not reflect the views of the fee-paying student body.[23][24][25][26]
In November 2007, the Minister of Education forPrince Edward Island,Gerard Greenan,was requested by theCouncil of Canadiansto ban military recruitment on PEI campuses. The Minister responded that military service "is a career and... we think its right to let the Armed Forces have a chance to present this option to students."[27]
See also
[edit]- Antimilitarism
- Military recruitment
- Recruit training
- Military personnel
- Women in the military
- Children in the military
- Sexual harassment in the military
References
[edit]- ^ab
- Australia:
- Defence Abuse Response Taskforce (2016)."Defence Abuse Response Taskforce: Final report"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2018-03-13.Retrieved2018-03-08.
- Canada:
- Canada, Statcan [official statistics agency] (2016)."Sexual Misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces, 2016".statcan.gc.ca.Retrieved2017-12-11.
- France:
- Leila, Miñano; Pascual, Julia (2014).La guerre invisible: révélations sur les violences sexuelles dans l'armée française(in French). Paris: Les Arènes.ISBN978-2352043027.OCLC871236655.
- Lichfield, John (2014-04-20)."France battles sexual abuse in the military".Independent.Retrieved2018-03-08.
- UK:
- Gee, D (2008)."Informed Choice? Armed forces recruitment practices in the United Kingdom".Archived fromthe originalon 2017-12-13.Retrieved2017-12-13.
- UK, Ministry of Defence (2015)."British Army: Sexual Harassment Report"(PDF).Retrieved2017-12-11.
- US:
- Marshall, A; Panuzio, J; Taft, C (2005). "Intimate partner violence among military veterans and active duty servicemen".Clinical Psychology Review.25(7): 862–876.doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2005.05.009.PMID16006025.
- US, Department of Defense (2017)."Department of Defense Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military: Fiscal Year 2016"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2019-05-08.Retrieved2018-03-09.
- Australia:
- ^ab
- UK:
- MacManus, Deirdre; Rona, Roberto; Dickson, Hannah; Somaini, Greta; Fear, Nicola; Wessely, Simon (2015-01-01)."Aggressive and Violent Behavior Among Military Personnel Deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan: Prevalence and Link With Deployment and Combat Exposure".Epidemiologic Reviews.37(1): 196–212.doi:10.1093/epirev/mxu006.ISSN0193-936X.PMID25613552.
- Goodwin, L.; Wessely, S.; Hotopf, M.; Jones, M.; Greenberg, N.; Rona, R. J.; Hull, L.; Fear, N. T. (2015). "Are common mental disorders more prevalent in the UK serving military compared to the general working population?".Psychological Medicine.45(9): 1881–1891.doi:10.1017/s0033291714002980.ISSN0033-2917.PMID25602942.S2CID3026974.
- MacManus, Deirdre; Dean, Kimberlie; Jones, Margaret; Rona, Roberto J; Greenberg, Neil; Hull, Lisa; Fahy, Tom; Wessely, Simon; Fear, Nicola T (2013)."Violent offending by UK military personnel deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan: a data linkage cohort study".The Lancet.381(9870): 907–917.doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(13)60354-2.PMID23499041.S2CID606331.
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- Buckman, Joshua E. J.; Forbes, Harriet J.; Clayton, Tim; Jones, Margaret; Jones, Norman; Greenberg, Neil; Sundin, Josefin; Hull, Lisa; Wessely, Simon (2013-06-01)."Early Service leavers: a study of the factors associated with premature separation from the UK Armed Forces and the mental health of those that leave early".European Journal of Public Health.23(3): 410–415.doi:10.1093/eurpub/cks042.ISSN1101-1262.PMID22539627.
- Jones, M.; Sundin, J.; Goodwin, L.; Hull, L.; Fear, N. T.; Wessely, S.; Rona, R. J. (2013). "What explains post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in UK service personnel: deployment or something else?".Psychological Medicine.43(8): 1703–1712.doi:10.1017/s0033291712002619.ISSN0033-2917.PMID23199850.S2CID21097249.
- US
- Hoge, Charles W.; Castro, Carl A.; Messer, Stephen C.; McGurk, Dennis; Cotting, Dave I.; Koffman, Robert L. (2004-07-01). "Combat Duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mental Health Problems, and Barriers to Care".New England Journal of Medicine.351(1): 13–22.CiteSeerX10.1.1.376.5881.doi:10.1056/nejmoa040603.ISSN0028-4793.PMID15229303.
- Friedman, M. J.; Schnurr, P. P.; McDonagh-Coyle, A. (June 1994). "Post-traumatic stress disorder in the military veteran".The Psychiatric Clinics of North America.17(2): 265–277.doi:10.1016/S0193-953X(18)30113-8.ISSN0193-953X.PMID7937358.
- Bouffard, Leana Allen (2016-09-16). "The Military as a Bridging Environment in Criminal Careers: Differential Outcomes of the Military Experience".Armed Forces & Society.31(2): 273–295.doi:10.1177/0095327x0503100206.S2CID144559516.
- Merrill, Lex L.; Crouch, Julie L.; Thomsen, Cynthia J.; Guimond, Jennifer; Milner, Joel S. (August 2005)."Perpetration of severe intimate partner violence: premilitary and second year of service rates".Military Medicine.170(8): 705–709.doi:10.7205/milmed.170.8.705.ISSN0026-4075.PMID16173214.
- Elbogen, Eric B.; Johnson, Sally C.; Wagner, H. Ryan; Sullivan, Connor; Taft, Casey T.; Beckham, Jean C. (2014-05-01)."Violent behaviour and post-traumatic stress disorder in US Iraq and Afghanistan veterans".The British Journal of Psychiatry.204(5): 368–375.doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.113.134627.ISSN0007-1250.PMC4006087.PMID24578444.
- UK:
- ^* Germany
- Germany, Bundestag Commission for Children's Concerns (2016).Opinion of the Commission for Children's Concerns on the relationship between the military and young people in Germany.
- Israel
- New Profile (2004)."The New Profile Report on Child Recruitment in Israel"(PDF).Retrieved2017-12-10.
- UK
- Gee, D; Goodman, A."Army visits London's poorest schools most often"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2018-05-29.Retrieved2017-12-10.
- Gee, D (2008)."Informed Choice? Armed forces recruitment practices in the United Kingdom".Archived fromthe originalon 2017-12-13.Retrieved2017-12-13.
- Gee, D (2017)."The First Ambush? Effects of army training and employment"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2019-07-12.Retrieved2017-12-13.
- Gee, David; Taylor, Rachel (2016-11-01). "Is it Counterproductive to Enlist Minors into the Army?".The RUSI Journal.161(6): 36–48.doi:10.1080/03071847.2016.1265837.ISSN0307-1847.S2CID157986637.
- US
- Hagopian, Amy; Barker, Kathy (2011-01-01)."Should We End Military Recruiting in High Schools as a Matter of Child Protection and Public Health?".American Journal of Public Health.101(1): 19–23.doi:10.2105/ajph.2009.183418.ISSN0090-0036.PMC3000735.PMID21088269.
- American Public Health Association (2012)."Cessation of Military Recruiting in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools".apha.org.Retrieved2017-12-13.
- "Soldiers of Misfortune: Abusive U.S. Military Recruitment and Failure to Protect Child Soldiers".American Civil Liberties Union.Retrieved2017-12-13.
- Diener, Sam; Munro, Jamie (June–July 2005)."Military Money for College: A Reality Check".Peacework.Archived fromthe originalon 2006-10-11.
- "Amid Scandal, Recruitment Halts".CBS News.2005-05-20.
- ^* Germany
- Germany, Bundestag Commission for Children's Concerns (2016).Opinion of the Commission for Children's Concerns on the relationship between the military and young people in Germany.
- UK
- Morris, Steven (2017-07-09)."British army is targeting working-class young people, report shows".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.Retrieved2017-12-08.
- Gee, D (2008)."Informed Choice? Armed forces recruitment practices in the United Kingdom".Archived fromthe originalon 2017-12-13.Retrieved2017-12-13.
- Gee, D; Goodman, A."Army visits London's poorest schools most often"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2018-05-29.Retrieved2017-12-10.
- US
- Other
- Brett, Rachel, and Irma Specht. Young Soldiers: Why They Choose to Fight. Boulder:Lynne Rienner Publishers,2004.ISBN1-58826-261-8
- "Machel Study 10-Year Strategic Review: Children and conflict in a changing world".UNICEF.Archived fromthe originalon 2017-12-09.Retrieved2017-12-08.
- ^* Australia
- Australia, Department of Defence (2008)."Defence Instructions General: Management and administration of Australian Defence Force members under 18 years of age"(PDF).Retrieved2017-11-17.
- Israel
- Milgrom, C.; Finestone, A.; Shlamkovitch, N.; Rand, N.; Lev, B.; Simkin, A.; Wiener, M. (January 1994). "Youth is a risk factor for stress fracture. A study of 783 infantry recruits".The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. British Volume.76(1): 20–22.doi:10.1302/0301-620X.76B1.8300674.ISSN0301-620X.PMID8300674.
- UK
- UK, Ministry of Defence (2017)."UK armed forces suicide and open verdict deaths: 2016".gov.uk.Retrieved2017-12-13.
- Blacker, Sam D.; Wilkinson, David M.; Bilzon, James L. J.; Rayson, Mark P. (March 2008)."Risk factors for training injuries among British Army recruits".Military Medicine.173(3): 278–286.doi:10.7205/milmed.173.3.278.ISSN0026-4075.PMID18419031.
- Kapur, Navneet; While, David; Blatchley, Nick; Bray, Isabelle; Harrison, Kate (2009-03-03)."Suicide after Leaving the UK Armed Forces —A Cohort Study".PLOS Medicine.6(3): e1000026.doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000026.ISSN1549-1676.PMC2650723.PMID19260757.
- Gee, D and Goodman, A (2013)."Young age at Army enlistment is associated with greater war zone risks: An analysis of British Army fatalities in Afghanistan".forceswatch.net.Retrieved2017-12-13.
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:Missing or empty|title=
(help)[dead link] - ^[1]ArchivedMay 6, 2006, at theWayback Machine
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- ^"Canadian Forces Ban Vote at the UVSS AGM".YouTube. 2007-10-25.Retrieved2010-11-24.[dead YouTube link]
- ^[2]ArchivedNovember 17, 2007, at theWayback Machine
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External links
[edit]- The 2004 Official US Military School Recruiting Program Handbook
- Mennonite Central Committee
- National Network Opposing the Militarization of Youth,founded in 2004, deals with the larger issue of militarism as it affects young people.
- Hagopian, A.; Barker, K. (2011)."Should we end military recruiting in high schools as a matter of child protection and public health?".American Journal of Public Health.101(1): 19–23.doi:10.2105/AJPH.2009.183418.PMC3000735.PMID21088269.