THE FACTS

     The International Labor Organization (ILO) defines child labor as work that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children, interferes with their schooling by depriving them of opportunity to attend school; by obliging them to leave school prematurely; or by requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with excessively long and heavy work. Legally a “child” is considered to be between the ages of 5 to17.  According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), nearly 250 million children are subjected to child labor.  Child labor can consist of manufacturing things such as bricks or cement and making shoes or other clothing. It can also involve more unsafe and potentially harmful tasks such as prostituting, pornography, trafficking, slavery, and working with toxins in an agricultural setting. Even in the jobs that are considered to be “safe” there are still some exceptions.  A job that requires a lot of hard work with the hands may leave calluses that can cause pain and inability to work for the remainder of a lifetime.  Three-quarters of the children working are considered to work in dangerous conditions, and 110 million workers under the age of 15 should be “immediately withdrawn” from their job due to an exceedingly high danger risk. 

THE PROBLEM

     Children are often forced into a working environment due to poverty.  Other causes may be economic or political unsteadiness, relocation, criminal exploitation, cultural traditions, lack of work for adults, little or no social protection and a shortage of schools.  These children are not given the chance to go to school and get a proper education.  Another problem is that the children are often working in conditions that could cause injury, sickness, disability or even death. 

     Child labor is not just a problem in poor underdeveloped countries; it is a problem that affects children across the world. This is one of the issues listed by UNICEF in their 4 myths of child labor section. (UNICEF State of the World's Children 1997 - Summary.)  Even in the United Stated child labor exists in the form of sweatshops or children being overworked in their part-time positions. 

      The issue of Child Labor is a serious moral subject and sides have been taken as to whether or not it should legally be abolished. 

STANDS TAKEN

     There are generally two stands taken regarding child labor. Some believe that child labor is morally wrong and should not be permitted.  Others think that child labor can be beneficial to everyone involved. 

An Argument against Child Labor   

     There are two major reasons agreed for why child labor should be eliminated. The first explanation is that it can be potentially harmful to the children; the second is that most child laborers are stripped from any opportunity of receiving a quality education.  Since it seems there is a unifying agreement against child labor that is hazardous, that type of child labor will not be taken into consideration regarding the stances taken.

     A quality education is important for being qualified enough to attain a respectable job later in life.  As adults, the child laborers will be forced to continue in the trade they know due to lack of knowledge of anything different.  This hinders a perfectly capable person the chance to be productive and make competitive earnings.  According to a report done by the International Labor Organization in 1992, there is a direct relationship between school and work.  The results of the study showed that when work employment was at a high point, school enrollment was low.  This means that due to the immense time demand of being employed, the child does not have time to participate in school.  In transitional countries, children chance at an education is sacrificed for the profit of others, often their own family.  Hence, the hopeless cycle continues and the child will grow up to be poor themselves.

An Argument for Child Labor          

     Although many people fight to eliminate child labor throughout the world, others battle to stress the important positive outcomes that can result from it.  They believe the positive outcomes can be earning an income, learning a new skill or keeping potential problem children off of the dangerous streets. Supporters of child labor also predict an unpromising outcome if child labor is effectively banned.

     Many children work so that they may share their wages with their struggling families as an important source of income.  It is a source of economic survival and allows the family to eat meager meal rations rather than go without.  Often children are hired before their elders because their wages are greatly reduced.  This can be life saving to a parent who is unemployed and unable to find another job.  Other more privileged children earn money in an attempt to make enough in wages to cover the expense of an education.

     In a great majority of underdeveloped countries, there is a lack of schools available.  If they are available they are most often times overcrowded, to far away, or have poor curriculum and teaching. This makes it advantageous for a child to learn a trade or skill that can be of use to them even if they aren’t able to receive a proper education. 

     Another positive factor of child labor is that it keeps young children occupied and out of trouble.  It allows them shelter from the dangerous streets in the poverty stricken areas in which many of the children live. By having a job the laborers are taught responsibility as well as a hard work ethic at a young age. 

CONCLUSION

     Child labor is any abuse of employment that can be physically or mentally harmful.   It can range from being overworked in an after school job to being taken away from family members and subjected to prostitution or other heinous positions.  Many dispute about the legality of child labor, some find no problem with it and others disagree saying that it is an exploitation of children and hinders their chance at a proper education or successful future career.  The only common thread between disputers is their utilitarianism point of view, each side thinking what they believe will bring about the maximum amount of happiness for the greatest amount of people.