The Islamic State fundamentally altered the nature of child involvement in armed conflict and terrorism. Reports indicate that boys under the age of eighteen were executed—by beheading or shooting—on suspicion of affiliation with rival armed groups. Girls as young as ten, primarily from the Yazidi religious minority in Iraq, were subjected to torture, mass forced enslavement, and sexual violence. Children were not only targeted by the group but were also exposed to, and in some cases compelled to participate in, executions. The instrumentalization of children served both as a form of psychological warfare and as a deliberate strategy to embed the group’s ideology within future generations. Central to the Islamic State’s project of establishing and enforcing a new socio-political order was the use of children to secure the perceived longevity of its vision. In this expert briefing, Sareta Ashraph of the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Daesh/ISIL provided key insights into ISIL’s strategies, including the systematic exploitation of children. The session also examined the complex challenges of accountability, underscoring the obstacles posed by the group’s widespread abuses and ongoing efforts related to justice, rehabilitation, and reintegration.