I don't see it as a paradox. I think both things are true.
Children make up 30% to 50% of the armed groups. That's up to half. They are joining the armed groups in different ways. They are kidnapped or abducted to join, in some cases. In other cases, they are threatened into joining. Their families may be threatened: “If you don't join, your family will be attacked and killed.” Sometimes the child joins because home life has become very violent.
Haitian families are breaking down, for a number of reasons. The family is not a safe place, so the child is on the street. The child runs away from the family and is on the street and becomes very vulnerable to recruitment.
In other cases, the child sees no other option. The gangs offer, through social media, a very attractive, very sexy life in the sense of, “Come join us. We have money. You will be in control. We'll give you a gun. You will have power.” Social media is a very persuasive recruitment tactic for children. They don't know any better. You're 10 years old. It looks good and you go, and then you realize what is happening.
There are multiple ways that children end up joining the armed groups.