A target for the enemy? Why children should not be dressed in military uniform

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Some brands have started sewing children’s pixel clothes. They even sell “children’s carnival camouflage costumes”. However, is it correct to dress children in clothes similar to military ones? With this question, we turned to: psychologist of the Children’s Voices Foundation, Oksana Pisareva; director of the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences, Yevgena Holovakha; and Andrii Novak, lawyer of the Miller law firm. Experts shared their opinions on whether wearing military clothing militarizes children’s consciousness and what military uniform should be associated with in children and adolescents. Is this a military uniform? Photo: natalia.martseniuk/Depositphotos Military uniform is considered to be clothing made of fabric with a camouflage pattern of the 2014 model (MM-14). Clothes from it began to be sewn and used in 2014, a year later the camouflage pattern was officially approved. In the Ukrainian army, the camouflage “pixel”, or it is also called “Poroh-1”, replaced the Soviet camouflage “Dubok”, which was worn since 1996. The developer of the MM-14 is the Norwegian company NFM Group. The picture contains five shades between yellow and brown. According to the order of the Ministry of Defense, military personnel who are conscripted during military training, reservists, cadets and high school students, as well as persons released from military service in reserve or retired with the right to wear military uniforms have the right to wear the pixel. Can civilians wear military uniforms? Photo: daks1984/Depositphotos No. Wearing clothes with the insignia of servicemen of the Armed Forces or other military formations is an administrative offense. The article provides for punishment in the form of a warning or the imposition of a fine from UAH 2,550 to UAH 3,400 with confiscation of the corresponding clothing. “The ban came into effect in 2019 with the aim of curbing the inappropriate wearing of military uniforms in a country where the war is ongoing. A child is a civilian, so she cannot wear a military uniform,” explains lawyer Andriy Novak, adding that a pixel wearing a civilian uniform does not make it a civilian. military man The composition of the offense is influenced by the circumstances, the purpose for which the uniform was worn, and the place, because in the territory where hostilities are taking place, a person in military uniform is a target for the enemy. Read also: In Kyiv, educators wore t-shirts similar to the uniform of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – Ukrainians are outraged “If a small child is dressed in a uniform, it will not mislead that he is a serviceman and will not cause negative consequences. At the same time, if a 17-year-old teenager wears an element of military clothing with identifying marks – this can be misleading. Similarly, if a civilian wears a t-shirt with a pixel, this can indicate an administrative violation,” Novak adds. Why parents should not dress their children in “pixel” Photo: kokoshay/Depositphotos A military uniform is, first of all, a uniform that distinguishes the military, Yevhen Golovakha notes. “The form is a way of unification. It is worth understanding that in this way you limit the child’s ability to stand out by external features, reduce the level of his creativity,” says the sociologist. The uniform is belonging to a profession, therefore it imposes responsibility and duties on the person wearing it. “The uniform reflects the main features of what you belong to. The military uniform has historically been associated with the strength and power of the state. Annual studies show that trust in the Armed Forces is increasing – accordingly, the level of respect for the people in the pixel is increasing,” Golovakha adds. According to the psychologist, due to the fact that today the “Ukrainian pixel” is often found on the street, the child may form its own associations about it, so parents should explain what kind of clothes it is, who wears it and why. “Around military paraphernalia, sometimes there is a trail of war, which can burden both children and adults with sacrifice or similar feelings. Conditionally: I will put on you the uniform of a father who died. So what can a child think? That he will also die?”, – says Yevhen Holovakha. Read also: How parents can protect their children from psychological trauma during the war: tips Photo: Asollo/Depositphotos If parents or adults buy clothes in the color of “Ukrainian pixel” for a child to wear to a holiday or a solemn event, the psychologist advises not to rush. First, you should find out from the child what he associates with him and what he knows about him. “Children live in the same media space as adults: they see billboards, meet soldiers on the street, watch photos and videos from the front. When she wears such clothes, cognitive dissonance can arise,” says Oksana Pisareva. Read also: “I was very hungry while I was sitting in the basement. Now I want to become a chef”: diaries of Ukrainian children that will be shown in Amsterdam Photo: AlexLipa/Depositphotos In addition, military uniforms can be perceived differently at different ages. Children under the age of 3 most often do not attach importance to things. According to the psychologist, at this age they are controlled by reflexes, such as – if an air alarm sounds, you need to go to the shelter. It is usually difficult to explain the meaning of things to a child under 3 years old. “At this age, parents dress a child for themselves. Ask yourself the question: why should a child be dressed in a pixel? In memory of the deceased? In order to take a photo? Is there a need for this in general?”, says the psychologist. The deeper meaning of things is realized in preschool age – 3-6 years, when a child may have a number of questions to which he will seek answers. The psychologist advises parents to rely on facts. “You can talk in the category of good and evil: war is terrible, killing is bad, but not defending yourself is also not ok. Say that the fact that the military defends its territory with weapons does not make them bad or good, it makes them people who have a sense of respect for their own borders,” adds Pisareva. Read also: “She lost her balance due to stress”: 2-year-old Marianna from Mariupol was taught to walk again in Okhmatdyt Why do children wear military uniforms Photo: Denisfilm/Depositphotos Schoolchildren and teenagers can wear things of a relative who died in the war when they go through the grieving process. There may be a special, caring attitude towards things, the child may wear a uniform in difficult or important moments for him. “This is a physical way to bring the memory of a deceased person to important events. Through clothes, it seems as if a feeling of a person’s presence and support appears. If it helps and psychologically supports the child, there is no right or wrong here, it’s normal,” the expert explains. . She adds that the bereaved’s belongings can help during the four stages of grieving: denial, anger, bargaining, and depression. In the final fifth stage – acceptance – no matter how deep the suffering, the child must return to normal life. “It is necessary to sound the alarm when the child begins to serve his grief, when the thing of the deceased becomes the main thing in his life. In this case, adults should consult a child psychologist, because the child needs to be helped to burn out and transfer all memories and emotions to memory “, says Oksana Pisareva. Read also: How parents handle children during war: 5 tips Photo: Nomadsoul1/Depositphotos “Understanding why a child wears a uniform or why parents do it – that will be the limit. Dressing children in military uniforms for fun/trend/hype – ignorance. A similar level of consciousness in Russia, when children in kindergartens are dressed in tank costumes and arrange “masquerades”, – adds the expert. The correct attitude towards war and military paraphernalia, says the psychologist, affects the formation of values. “Values ​​are laid by the family and society. If a child understands ordinary, at first glance, things – feels respect, support in difficult moments – then he will broadcast them to his surroundings, because he will know how,” sums up the psychotherapist. Anastasia Poya, Ukrainian Pravda. Life Read also: The child wants death of Putin: is it normal?

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