One thing we in the Western World (particularly the English speaking Western World) almost always fail to recognize is that we allow our offspring to have an extended childhood. In many parts of the world, a boy of 14-16 years is considered old enough to be working and helping to support his younger siblings or even taking over from his father if the father is less capable.
In those same countries, a girl of 15-17 years is often thought of as old enough for marriage or work.
Even in some Western nations up to the 1990s it was not unusual for a similar attitude to hold sway, countries like Italy, Greece, Spain you could still find boys of 14 leaving school to learn their father's trade.
I'm making a very broad and generalized statement I know but in some parts of Europe, what we would consider as a boy of 15 would be viewed as a young man of 15. We would see him as a child were they would see him as eligible to hold down a job and support his family.
It would not be too much of difference to them have him join the military (voluntary or otherwise) in such circumstances - it wasn't that many years ago when a "boy" of 15 could legally (as long as he had his parent's consent) join the Australian navy as a 'junior recruit' and "boys" of 16 could join the Australian army as trades apprentices.
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