The Islamic State is mobilizing children and youth at an increasing and unprecedented rate. The authors present preliminary findings from a new database in which they recorded and analyzed child and youth “martyrs” eulogized by the Islamic State between January 2015 and January 2016. The data suggests that the number of child and youth militants far exceeds current estimates. The article presents data on the children and youth’s country of origin, age, role, location of death, and under what circumstances they were killed. The authors also describe several trends in the propaganda before discussing the varied and complex implications of the Islamic State’s long-term vision for its children and youth.
Publication Information
Bloom, Mia, John Horgan and Charlie Winter. "Depictions of Children and Youth in the Islamic State's Martyrdom Propaganda, 2015-2016." CTC Sentinel 9 (February): 29-32. https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/depictions-of-children-and-youth-in-the-islamic-states-martyrdom-propaganda-2015-2016