Why is the military still allowed to recruit 16-year-olds?
In 2016, I wrote a blog addressing the growing calls for the military recruitment age to be raised to 18. This followed a report prepared by the public health charity Medact, which found that service personnel recruited under the age of 18 were more vulnerable to PTSD, alcohol abuse, self-harm, suicide, death and injury during the course of their career.
Almost ten years have now passed and yet nothing has changed.
The UK is one of only fifteen countries in the world that still allows the military enlistment of children aged 16. Human rights charities have long called for the recruitment age to be raised, citing the damaging impact the UK’s recruitment policy has on global efforts to prevent the recruitment of child soldiers.
There has been some improvement in recent years when it comes to the safeguarding of young recruits but there are still far too many instances of mistreatment, bullying and serious assaults. A 2024 report by Child Rights International Network detailed a decade long-pattern of abuse, bullying and institutional failings at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, which is the UK’s sole initial training site for army recruits.
What is clear is that young recruits are not being adequately protected, and the harmful impacts couldn’t be starker in terms of mental health outcomes and the notable incidents of suicides among young personnel.
In the past there has been an intentional focus on recruitment of young people from deprived backgrounds, leading to a situation where vulnerable individuals are being placed in a system that is not always equipped to provide the supportive and nurturing learning environment that is needed.
The counterargument is always that the military can be a great place for young people looking for employment and training opportunities. While that may be true for some, I would argue that it cannot be used as a justification where young people are being put at a severe risk of harm.
This is an issue which doesn’t appear to be on the political agenda, despite public support for the proposition of raising the recruitment age. Given the current geopolitical climate, it is unlikely to be seen as a priority, while there is an ongoing recruitment crisis within our armed forces. Given the overwhelming evidence in support of raising the recruitment age, I hope that something is done so that the status quo isn’t just allowed to continue unchallenged for another ten years.
