Four in 10 children say they do not want conscription

Four in 10 children aged 9 to 14 say they do not want to do military service when they are older, according to a survey by Epinion for DR’s children’s news programme Ultra Nyt.

More than one in three girls said they would feel bad about having to serve. Only 4 per cent of girls said they would like to do military service, the survey found.

Conscription in Denmark has been extended this year from four to 11 months, and women are now called up on the same basis as men when they turn 18. The armed forces are expected to make greater use of conscripts in operational duties.

Agnes Pagh Hargreave, 12, said she was afraid of going to war and dying. She is also worried about her 17-year-old sister, who will soon be called up to take a number to determine whether she will serve. Agnes and her friend Ellen Matilde Lollesgaard, 11, tried being conscripts for a day at Air Station Skalstrup.

Why children are worried

Sonja Breinholst, a lecturer in clinical child psychology at the University of Copenhagen, said children’s fears are influenced by the way adults talk about war. She compared this with children’s reactions during the coronavirus pandemic, saying children whose parents and teachers spoke negatively about it became more frightened than those whose concerns were handled in a child-friendly, neutral or positive way.

Breinholst said adults should avoid transferring their own views about conscription to children. Fear can also arise from unfamiliarity, she said, particularly for girls, who may have fewer examples of women serving in the military among their family or acquaintances.

The survey’s responses may therefore reflect that children, especially girls, do not know enough about what military service involves, Breinholst said.

How to discuss war and military service

Breinholst advised parents to discuss the subjects when children ask about them, rather than raising them pre-emptively. She recommended keeping answers factual, brief and appropriate to the child’s age and development, and reminding them that politicians and the armed forces are responsible for these matters.

The Armed Forces Command told DR that it has an important communications task: giving future conscripts a concrete and realistic picture of their training, daily life and potential duties. It said it takes this seriously so that as many young people as possible will choose to serve voluntarily.

The command also said research shows that young people who know someone in the armed forces, or have other personal connections to it, tend to view conscription more positively. Most people who have completed military service would recommend it to others, it said.

In Denmark, men and women receive a summons to Armed Forces Day after turning 18. In August, 1,600 young people began the new 11-month service, and women made up 20 per cent of those starting in 2026. More than 99 per cent of conscripts volunteer. They can serve at 14 locations across the country.

The survey was based on 1,026 interviews with a representative selection of children aged 9 to 14, conducted in the spring.