Especially Vulnerable Children Read Save the Children's report: Protecting Children from Exploitation and Trafficking: Using the Positive Deviance Approach in Uganda and Indonesia (PDF) Child Soldiers More than 300,000 children under the age of 18 are currently participating in armed conflicts around the world. These children are not only active combatants, but also porters, cooks, spies, minesweepers and forced "wives." Regardless of whether they are in combat roles or play a supporting role, Save the Children believes that children should not be used in armed conflict under any circumstances. We are committed to helping these children return to their families and communities and to preventing further underage recruitment by any military or armed group. Save the Children helps communities understand and cope with children who are returning from combat. Support Protection Programs