There are many factors leading to the presence of young girls in various armed groups.  Often, girls volunteer in an attempt to seek protection against unwanted marriages or sexual abuse within their homes, to take revenge against previous attackers, to enhance female empowerment, or to escape the traditional gender roles enforced by their cultural customs.  

Those who do not voluntarily join are often targeted and kidnapped.  Some live in poor dysfunctional families who sell them in exchange for food to armed forces.  Many others are poorly supervised by elders in their communities and are kidnapped without notice.  A considerable number want to gain respect, status, and equality amongst their male peers.  Others are coerced to believe that their involvement will help their nation achieve justice. 

After becoming members of these armed forces, many suffer from emotional turmoil.  Their trauma causes emotional and psychological distress.  The empowerment they gain from their ranks in the military ostracizes them from their families and their communities.  Numerous girls are infected with sexually transmitted diseases and are impregnated at an early age from sexual coercion or abuse which is not always reported. 

Girl soldiers, especially those returning with children of their own, experience higher rates of rejection by their communities and have more problems reintegrating than do boy soldiers.  Frequently, they end up working as prostitutes or performing unskilled labor once their service has ended.  Their lack of education is due to their participation in the war.  With that in mind, female soldiers very rarely receive access to formal reintegration programs, and those that do are often not properly taken care of based upon their special needs.  In this regard, it is very important that influential organizations invest in programs and rehabilitation centers that will aid in the needs of surviving female soldiers.