Free Essay

International Child Labor

In:

Submitted By 10110
Words 1205
Pages 5
Jaime Smith
S. Scullion
ENG 122
11 April 2011
International Child Labor Controversy Exploitation of children, taking advantage of children in the work place, has been referred to by researchers as the most widespread type of child abuse. Child labor is known to have first become an international issue in the 1860s and not until the 1980s, did the global movement begin. Today, more than 200 million children in the world are involved in child labor, with more than 50 percent of them working in extremely hazardous settings (International Labor Organization Video). The term child labor has many definitions depending on who you are talking to, meaning there is no concrete definition. For some, this phrase means preventing children from attending school and causing hazards to their health. Though for others, child labor simply involves any child under the age of 15 working for pay. Regardless of the definition, children could do factory work, mining, trafficking, prostitution, agriculture, or work in their parents’ business. There are many benefits of child labor whether it is for the economy, or ironically, the life of the children; however, the exploitation of these children has become such an international affair that laws or regulations need to be implemented globally in order to protect the welfare of all children. The argument, made time and time again, that children worldwide in child labor are disadvantaged in education and are susceptible to inadequate health is only true to some degree. Children can be more prone to these conditions but they become more prone in hazardous conditions which not all children in child labor are involved in. Education is and always will be a valid step in a child’s life especially in the economy today. Yet at the same time schooling is not always received let alone available. The financial status of the child and the child’s family also plays a major part in why the child works as well as how much the child works or is forced to work. Another concern is the health and conditions that these children are working in at such a young age. All three of these factors, whether it is within the education, the financial status, or the health of these children, have a major impact on their daily lives. Education is a valued process in a child’s life which is sometime lost with the realities of child labor. Approximately 50 to 70 percent of children who work also attends school, leaving approximately 30 to 50 percent of working children who are not receiving even an elementary education (Child Labor: A Global View 5). In fact, an article called “Child Labor Around the World”, in the Monthly Labor Review, discussed how “although many children work and go to school, the number of hours worked often conflicts with the children’s education” (“Child Labor Around the World” 57). Agreeing that children shouldn’t work because it is detrimental to their education, Jeanie Conley, in an article entitled “Child Labor—robbing children of their youth,” stated that “working long hours makes it impossible to go to school” (Conley 638). Although many feel that no child can work while receiving an education, there are those that feel working while receiving a proper education is a very probable scenario. Kathryn Gay, the author of a book titled Child Labor: A Global Crisis, claimed that most businesses try to abide by the laws designed to protect children and not interfere with their education. With this she implies that a child can get an education while earning a wage. Taking Gay’s claim a step further the editors of Child Labor: A Global View discussed that it is possible for children to work, as well as get an education, if the hours are limited and the conditions are nonhazardous. With the rising expectations in higher standards for education, if these children don’t receive the proper schooling they could be stuck doing hard labor in their adulthood as well. The amount and severity of the labor these children do have a lot to do with their families and their financial stability. Within the working children roughly 36 percent of children work for a source of income and around 23 percent of them work as a way of helping their parents (Omokhodion). The financial status of the children and their families play a major role. According to an article given by the International labor review, “for destitute parents trapped in poverty, the employment of their children was considered the only option left and the ban on child labor was for them a nuisance” (“Child Labor: Targeting The Intolerable” 711). While in other situations, such as the United States “children work to make spending money” not for survival (Child labor: A Global View 11). The International Labor Organization also broadened their view by looking at child labor in terms of supply and demand, the supply being poverty and the demand being low cost and irreplaceable skill (“Child Labor: Targeting The Intolerable” 711-712). In some cases, without low cost employment prices would rise and cause the demand to lower. Others such as Llewellyn H. Rockwell, editor for the Rothbard-Rockwell report, “child labor is a necessary part of economic development….the truth is that child labor is a common practice in every country in the world [whether its right or wrong]” (qtd. in Child Labor and Sweatshops 72-73). Financial situations of these children that are being exploited and their families drastically change the worth of their income, as well as the need to make money.

Work Cited
Child Labor: A Global View. Ed. Cathryne L. Schmitz, Elizabeth KimJin Traver, Desi Larson. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2004.
Child Labor And Sweatshops. Ed. Williams, Mary E. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1999.
"Child Labor Around The World. " Monthly Labor Review 1 May 2005: 57.
ProQuest. 9 Mar. 2011 <http://www.proquest.com/>
"Child Labour." [Web Video] . International Labour Organization. 3 Mar 2011 <http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/wdacl/index.htm>.
"Child Labour." International Labour Review. Geneva: Vol. 137. Iss. 1.1998 124.
ProQuest. 10 Mar. 2011 <http://www.proquest.com/>
"Child Labour: Targeting The Intolerable." International Labour Review. Geneva:
Vol. 135. Iss. 6. 1996 711-712. ProQuest. 8 Mar. 2011 <http://www.proquest.com/>
Conley, Jeanine. "Child Labor--robbing children of their youth." Pediatric Nursing.
Pitman: Vol. 26. Iss. 6. Nov/Dec 2000 637-639. ProQuest. 11 Mar. 2011 <http://www.proquest.com/>
Fyfe, Alec. The Worldwide Movement Against Child Labour-Progress and Future
Directions. Geneva: International Labour Office, 2007.
Gay, Kathlyn. Child Labor: A Global Crisis. Brookfield, CT: The Millbrook Press,
Inc., 1998.
Lapp, Hannah. Personal interview. 2 Apr. 2011. Interview.
Omokhodion, F O, S I Omokhodion, T O Odusote. "Perceptions of child labour among working children in Ibadan, Nigeria. " Child Care, Health and
Development. Vol. 32. Iss. 3. (2006): 281-286. ProQuest. 12 Mar. 2011 <http://www.proquest.com/>
"U.S. Laws." Child Labor Public Education Project. The Child Labor Public Education Project of the University of Iowa Labor Center and Center for Human Rights. 15 Mar 2011 <http://www.continuetolearn.uiowa.edu/laborctr/child_labor/about/us_laws.html>.

Similar Documents

Free Essay

To Recall

...The Fight against Child Labor International Business Tamara Ramsey May 9, 2012 Abstract Child labor has recently become a very touchy subject throughout the world. Well known corporations and clothing and sporting goods distributors that have for decades been taking advantage of cheap labor in third world countries are seeing their names and images tarnished by allegations of child labor practices and obscene working conditions. Child labor is nothing new to the world. It has been a part of almost every society in recorded history. From ancient times, children have been a part of the economic survival of their families, particularly in industries like the farming and crafting industries. Child labor is meant to define unfair, abusive work whereas work is an important part of the sculpting of most children. There is no question in society that some forms of labor are acceptable and some are not. Children may work without being abused and in many countries and even some American cultures; it is both necessary and integral that children perform some laborious duties. The line between work and child labor is most commonly drawn where normal tasks are replaced with exploitative tasks and children are expected to do things that go well beyond the borders of inhumane. When you think about children, chances are you think of them getting up in the morning, going to school, then coming home and going outside to play. Sadly this isn't always the case. In many countries...

Words: 3142 - Pages: 13

Free Essay

Child Labor

...Assignment #6: Child Labor: Rights, Risks, and Realities Li-Chung Pan Boston University Metropolitan College AD746 Business Law & Regulation in a Global Environment Prof. Martin L. Saradjian February 20th, 2013 1. Child labor was used extensively before laws and legislations were enacted to abolish child labor. Nowadays, child labor is used in developing countries where child labor laws are not strictly enforced or there aren’t any child labor laws. Where child labor still exists is found in rural settings in developing countries where they are forced to work by their parents or their labor is used to repay debt incurred by their parents. Child labor is used in mostly unskilled labor and is much cheaper than adult workers. 2. Various cultural factors contribute to children working in hazardous conditions. According to “Child Labour: Rights, Risks & Realities” some ethnic and lower classes believe that some are born to rule and others are born to work. This includes children, where their lower caste excludes them from certain rights afforded to other children from a higher caste. If children from these castes drop out of school to work, it is seen as their destiny to do so. 3. The Rotary International is trying to change public attitudes of how some cultures perceive child labor. Rotary clubs around the world are trying to improve the conditions of children by fighting poverty and providing education. 4. The Convention on Rights of the Child is ratified...

Words: 275 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Child Labor in America

...BUSINESS LAW I APPLIED RESEARCH Child Labor Laws Shane T. Martin Doctor Aaron Bazzoli Park University Internet Campus A course paper presented to the School of Arts and Sciences and Distance Learning In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Baccalaureate Business Law I Park University December 2012 Outline - Introduction - Early America o Placed children were employed o Agricultural jobs o Lack of safety standards o Lost educational opportunities - Opposition o 1900 Census report opened America’s eyes o National Consumers League started campaigning for children’s rights o National Child Labor Committee formed in 1904 - Laws Regarding o Problem too pervasive to “law down” o Federal regulation needed to prevent employers from taking business across state lines o Beveridge and Parsons introduce legislation in 1906 ▪ Debated but not put into law o Many tries by Congress but no laws that stuck o Roosevelt elected ▪ National Industrial Recovery Act passed in 1933. • Banned industrial homework and eliminated child labor • Ruled unconstitutional in 1935 ▪ Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933 • Ruled unconstituational ▪ Walsh-Healey Act required government restrict their purchases to companies...

Words: 1955 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Child Labor

...Child labor was and is still an existing practice in the world today. Manuel, a five-year old worked at a seafood cannery in Biloxi, Mississippi, with a shrimp pail in each hand and a mountain of oyster shells behind his back. He is typical for thousands of working children in the years before the civil war, especially the turn of the century. America's army of child laborers had been growing steadily for the past century. The nation's economy was expanding. Factories, minds and mills needed plenty of cheap labor. Around 1911, more than two million American children under the age of 16 years of age were a regular part of the work force. Many of them worked twelve hours or more a day, six days a week, for pathetic wages under unhealthy and hazardous conditions. Thousands of young boys descended into dark and dangerous coal mines every day, or worked aboveground in the dust of coal breakers, picking slate from coal with torn and bleeding fingers. Small girls tended noisy machines in the spinning rooms of cotton mills, where the humid, lint-filled air made breathing difficult. They were actually kept awake by cold water being thrown in their faces. Three-year-olds could be found in the cotton fields, and twelve-year-olds on factor night shifts. Across the country, children who should have been in school or at play had to work for a living. By the early 1900's, many Americans were calling child labor "child slavery" and were demanding an end to it...

Words: 2327 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

The Gilded Age And The Progressive Era

...society and labor force face an “industrial” change in which allows for the development of coal mining, working the railroads, in addition with a variety of other jobs. Correspondingly, when these new jobs come to the American hand, union groups begin to come along with them such as the Knights of Labor and later the American Federation of Labor. However, it is also during this time that America undergoes a great migration wave in which brings a significant amount of Italians, Germans, and Irish to the eastern coast which created great competition on the job market. Moreover,...

Words: 1029 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Childhood

...brought with it. Children lived in horrifying conditions before reform was achieved in the early 20th century. They often worked in coalmines or sweatshops for up to twenty hours a day. This helps understand the perspectives of the people living at this time, towards children, as the children weren’t too different from adults, earning wages by spending their days working. In some cases, children worked for weeks in factories without receiving any pay. They did this for the hope of receiving employment after the weeks in which they worked for free. However, employers were well aware of this and often took advantage of the children by either not hiring them in the end of their free labor, or moving after the few weeks to a different area to find more free labor. Outside of being mistreated for labor, children often did not receive care from their parents at home. High infant mortality rates and large family size contributes to this, as it’s harder for a mother of ten to care for all her children, knowing a few are bound to die....

Words: 1195 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Value of Education

...Dear Aunt Bessie, I have found pleasure in making people in need happy. From your asking to give away one million dollars I will choose wisely and make your acquirements expectable. I have seen the other side of America as something that I never thought I would have ever see. We have talked about deforestation, child labor, women’s suffrage, and food safety. I have made my decision to give $600,000 to Child Labor, $300,000 to Food Safety, and $100,000 to Deforestation. I made my decision to give away $600,000 to Child Labor. My reason for giving away so much money to something that most people may think isn’t necessary of any reason. Well, you may not know the things that I know. I have learned that Child Labor isn’t just children get a little paper cut or a scrap. According to Lewis Hine’s, National Child Labor Committee Report, 1911, “One was badly burned and the other smothered to death” (Doc B.) This means there are children in our world that may get injured badly or even killed. Dennis McKee was one of them. Some of the boys working in mines had little chance to relax or even get some fresh air. “He continues to cough up black coal dust” being in such a small area and especially working with coal you’ll most likely inhale the coal dust and can lead to serious problems like the common diseases such as black lungs. But it is just from working in mines it...

Words: 255 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Report

...FY 2002 Annual Performance Plan Table of Contents 1. Introduction The 1913 Act that created the Department of Labor (DOL) stated that its purpose "... shall be to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners of the United States, to improve their working conditions, and to advance their opportunities for profitable employment." While this statement is as true today as it was 88 years ago, our vision has matured as the Department has addressed changing economies and a diversified workforce. Today, the Department must ensure that the 21st century workforce is prepared to face the 21st century economy with hope--by equipping all workers with the skills to reach their aspirations. As we respond to the challenges of the changing economy, the Department's first responsibility will continue to be the protection of workers by enforcing the Nation's labor laws: * to ensure the safety of every workplace, * to guarantee an honest day's pay for an honest day's work, * to stop discrimination, * to protect workers from coercion and intimidation, and * to safeguard the pension of every American worker and retiree. The Department will emphasize prevention and compliance assistance--to protect workers before they are harmed physically or economically. Consistent with the Department's commitment to enforcement, we will work together with employers on better prevention strategies, avoiding whenever possible the loss of life, health or economic well-being...

Words: 3202 - Pages: 13

Free Essay

Child Labor

...Introduction child labor, use of the young as workers in factories, farms, and mines. Child labor was first recognized as a social problem with the introduction of the factory system in late 18th-century Great Britain. Children had formerly been apprenticed (see apprenticeship) or had worked in the family, but in the factory their employment soon constituted virtual slavery, especially among British orphans. This was mitigated by acts of Parliament in 1802 and later. Similar legislation followed on the European Continent as countries became industrialized. Although most European nations had child labor laws by 1940, the material requirements necessary during World War II brought many children back into the labor market. Legislation concerning child labor in other than industrial pursuits, e.g., in agriculture, has lagged. In the Eastern and Midwestern United States, child labor became a recognized problem after the Civil War, and in the South after 1910. Congressional child labor laws were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1918 and 1922. A constitutional amendment was passed in Congress in 1924 but was not approved by enough states. The First Labor Standards Act of 1938 set a minimum age limit of 18 for occupations designated hazardous, 16 for employment during school hours for companies engaged in interstate commerce, and 14 for employment outside school hours in nonmanufacturing companies. In 1941 The Supreme Court ruled that Congress had the constitutional...

Words: 1369 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Child Labour

...------------------------------------------------- Child labour in India From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Young boy stacking plates in Bangalore Child labor in India and rest of the world, per World Bank data. India is colored in green with 10-20% incidence levels, along with countries colored in red (30-40%) and black (>40%). Child labour in India is the practice where children engage in economic activity, on part-time or full-time basis. The practice deprives children of their childhood, and is harmful to their physical and mental development. Poverty, lack of good schools and growth of informal economy are considered as the important causes of child labour in India.[1][2] b The 2001 national census of India estimated the total number of child labour, aged 5–14, to be at 12.6 million.[3] Child labor problem is not unique to India; worldwide, about 215 million children work, many full-time.[4] In 2001, out of a 12.6 million, about 0.12 million children in India were in a hazardous job.[5]UNICEF estimates that India with its larger population, has the highest number of labourers in the world under 14 years of age, while sub-saharan African countries have the highest percentage of children who are deployed as child labour.[6][7][8] International Labour Organization estimates that agriculture at 60 percent is the largest employer of child labor in India,[9] while United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization estimates 70 percent of child labour is deployed in agriculture and...

Words: 4228 - Pages: 17

Premium Essay

Qweqweq

...Child Labor – A Challenge the World is Facing Childhood is the most innocent stage in a human life. It is that phase of life where a child is free from all the tensions, fun-loving, play and learns new things, and is the sweetheart of all the family members. But this is only one side of the story. The other side is full of tensions and burdens. Here, the innocent child is not the sweetheart of the family members, instead he is an earning machine working the entire day in order to satisfy the needs and wants of his/her family. This is what is called 'CHILD LABOUR'. There are various causes and effects of child labour. Eliminating child labour is one of the biggest challenges that the whole world is facing. Child labour includes working children who are below a certain minimum age. This practice is going on since long and is one of the worst forms of child exploitation. Child labour not only causes damage to a child’s physical and mental health but also keep him deprive of his basic rights to education, development, and freedom. According to statistics provided by UNICEF, there are an estimated 250 million children aged 5 to 14 years employed in child labour worldwide and this figure is continuously increasing. Child labour is not only affecting under-developed and developing countries, but developed countries are also facing this though the rate is comparatively very less. Child labor in Asia accounts for the highest percentage of child labour (61%) followed by Africa (32%)...

Words: 2733 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Child Labour

...Increasing child labor Introduction: Child labor considered to be one of main issues of world, is being neglected . God has given human beings the boon of wisdom and discretion to think upon the signs of the universe and to draw conclusions. That is the reason why they disclose the hidden facts of it and its structure and have made remarkable progress in many walks of life. Children are the flowers of heaven. They are the most beautiful and purest creation of God. They are innocent both inwardly and outwardly. No doubt, they are the beauty of this world. Early in the morning when the children put on different kinds of clothes and begin to go to schools for the sake of knowledge, we feel a specific kind of joy through their innocence. But there are also other children, those who cannot go to schools due to financial problems, they only watch others go to schools and can merely wish to seek knowledge. It is due to many hindrances and difficulties; desperate conditions that they face in life. Having been forced to kill their aspirations, dreams and other wishes, they are pressed to earn a living for themselves and for their families. It is also a fact that there are many children who play a key role in sustaining the economically life of their family without which, their families would not be able to make ends meet. These are also part of our society who have forgotten the pleasures of their childhood. When a child in addition to getting education...

Words: 881 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Child Labor in Pakistan

...CHILD LABOUR IN PAKISTAN Presentation by: Ayesha Ayub Maham Gul Maryam Hayee Zainab Ahmed Zoya Baig Contents 1) Introduction 3 1.1) Definition 4 2) Facts 4 3) Laws 5 3.1) Nike accused of child labour 5 4) Causes 6 5) Consequences 7 6) Long Term Health Problems 7 7) Solutions 8 8) Conclusion 9 Introduction God has given human beings the boon of wisdom and discretion to think upon the signs of the universe and to draw conclusions. That is the reason why they disclose the hidden facts of it and its structure and have made remarkable progress in many walks of life. Children are the flowers of heaven. They are the most beautiful and purest creation of God. They are innocent both inwardly and outwardly. No doubt, they are the beauty of this world. Early in the morning when the children put on different kinds of clothes and begin to go to schools for the sake of knowledge, we feel a specific kind of joy through their innocence. | | But there are also other children, those who cannot go to schools due to financial problems, they only watch others go to schools and can merely wish to seek knowledge. It is due to many hindrances and difficulties; desperate conditions that they face in life. Having been forced to kill their aspirations, dreams and other wishes, they are pressed to earn a living for themselves and for their families. It is also a fact that there are many children who play a key role in sustaining the economically life of...

Words: 1980 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Child Labor

...SIMPOC International Labour Office Global child labour developments: Measuring trends from 2004 to 2008 Yacouba Diallo, Frank Hagemann, Alex Etienne, Yonca Gurbuzer and Farhad Mehran Statistical Information and Monitoring Programme on Child Labour (SIMPOC) International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) Global child labour developments: Measuring trends from 2004 to 2008 Yacouba Diallo, Frank Hagemann, Alex Etienne, Yonca Gurbuzer and Farhad Mehran Copyright © International Labour Organization 2010 First published 2010 Publications of the International Labour Office enjoy copyright under Protocol 2 of the Universal Copyright Convention. Nevertheless, short excerpts from them may be reproduced without authorization, on condition that the source is indicated. For rights of reproduction or translation, application should be made to ILO Publications (Rights and Permissions), International Labour Office, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland, or by email: pubdroit@ilo.org. The International Labour Office welcomes such applications. Libraries, institutions and other users registered with reproduction rights organizations may make copies in accordance with the licences issued to them for this purpose. Visit www.ifrro.org to find the reproduction rights organization in your country. Diallo, Yacouba; Hagemann, Frank; Etienne, Alex; Gurbuzer, Yonca; Mehran, Farhad Global child labour developments: Measuring trends from 2004 to 2008 / Yacouba Diallo,...

Words: 8485 - Pages: 34

Premium Essay

Social Injustice

...Assignment #2 : Social Justice Young Min JO 57712101 Part I: Analysis of India’s Child Labour Using Maxwell and Young’s Framework INTRODUCTION Child labour has been around since the industrial revolution. There are many different definitions of child labour depending on the organization. The International Labour Organization (ILO) describes child labour as “work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development”. On the other hand, UNICEF describes it as “involved in child labour activities if between 5 to 11 years of age, he or she did at least one hour of economic activity or at least 28 hours of domestic work in a week”. Simply put, it is the employment of children under the minor legal age. The national census in 2011 still found that there were approximately 4.35 million child labourers in India (aged 5-14). By using Maxwell and Young’s framework, I will analyse the child labour force in India. INDIA’S SOCIAL INJUSTICE (MAXWELL) Reading the BBC article on India’s children labour, it is clear that social injustice plays a role. The exploitation, trade, and mistreat of these children all point towards social injustice. According to Maxwell, social injustice is moral unfairness in the division of society’s rewards or burdens. Despite the fact that using children as their labour force is morally wrong, the wage distribution ($2/day) inequity strongly supports the fact that there...

Words: 2077 - Pages: 9