Essays On Child Labour

Essay on The Immorality of Child Labor
The Immorality of Child Labor
Child labor is a serious moral issue. There have been many controversial debates over whether it
should be legal or not. Two different viewpoints on the subject exist. Many argue that child labor is
morally wrong and that the children should not work, no matter how poverty stricken their family
might be. Advocates and major corporations that support child labor argue that it is good because it
gives poverty–stricken families a source of income.
Child labor first appeared with the development of domestic systems (when people became
civilized). It was widely practiced in England, America, and other countries during the 16th–18th
centuries. Children were paid very little for the dangerous...show more content...
His ?Master? gave him no money for the long hours he worked. He also stated that he was ?hit
again and again.?(Kielberger, 6.)
Children who are forced to work also miss out on life and their chance for a good education. ?In
Pakistan, I talked to a boy making bricks. He had been sold into labor by his grandfather to pay a
debt. ?Would you like to go to school?? I asked him.
?What is school?? he asked me.? (Kielberger, 5.) In India, only 64% of males and 39% of females
are literate.
When children are forced to work at a young age, they can also develop serious health problems.
?Health problems are compounded for children because they are more susceptible than adults to the
types of illnesses and injuries associated with occupational hazards.? (Parker, http:/
/www.busph.bu.edu/Gallery/Introp.html.)
Child labor is necessary in some places because poor families need the extra income this will bring.
Poverty is the reason many children go to work. In India, 37% of the urban and 39% of the rural
populations live in poverty. (Unknown.) Studies have ?revealed a positive correlation– in some
instances, a strong one– between child labor and such factors as poverty.? (Melara–Kerpelman,
1996.) Also, a poll taken of child laborers revealed that 63.74% said the reason they worked was
poverty. (Unknown.)Many parents make their children work because there are no alternate sources
of income. In many economically depressed countries where child
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Child Labour
CAUSES OF CHILD LABOUR
Poverty
Parental illiteracy
Tradition of making children learn the family skills
Absence of universal compulsory Primary education
Social apathy and tolerance of child labour
Ignorance of the parents about the adverse consequences of Child labour
Ineffective enforcement of the legal provisions pertaining to child labour
Non–availability of and non–accessibility to schools
Irrelevant and non–attractive school curriculum
Employers prefer children as they constitute cheap labour and they are not able to organize
themselves against exploitation.
Causes of Child Labour
Some common causes of child labor are poverty, parental illiteracy, social apathy, ignorance, lack of
education and exposure,...show more content...
India is the largest example of a nation plagued by the problem of child labour. Estimates cite
figures of between 60 and 115 million working children in India –– the highest number in the world
(Human Rights Watch 1996, 1).
What are the causes of child labour in India? How do governmental policies affect it? What role
does education play in regard to child labour in India? A critical analysis of the answers to these
questions may lead in the direction of a possible solution. These questions will be answered
through an analysis of the problem of child labour as it is now, investigating how prevalent it is
and what types of child labour exist. The necessity of child labour to poor families, and the role of
poverty as a determinant will be examined. Governmental policies concerning child labour will be
investigated.
The current state of education in India will be examined and compared with other developing
countries. Compulsory education policies and their relationship to child labour will be investigated
using Sri Lanka and the Indian state of Kerala as examples of where these policies have worked.
Finally, India's policies concerning compulsory education will be assessed.
The Problem of Child Labour in India
How many children are involved?
It is difficult to cite a current figure for the number of children engaged in child labour. This
difficulty is attributed to the fact that the Indian Government "has been negligent in its refusal to

Essay on child labour
Child labour
The industrial revolution began in Great Britain during the 1700's. Industry grew rapidly with the
development of power–driven machinery and new methods of production. By the mid–1800's, the
Industrial Revolution had become widespread in Western Europe. From this child labour began.
Child labour is the employment of children as wage earners. It became a serious social problem
during the Industrial Revolution in Britain during the 1700's, and the problem spread to other
countries as they became industrialized. The problem first began when children, many below the
age of 10, were employed by factories and mines. The children were forced to work long hours
under dangerous and unhealthy conditions, and their wages were very...show more content...
But child labour created no major social problems until the factory system of labour began.
During the 1700's, many businesses in Britain began to hire children. Children worked for lower
wages than adults, and were not so likely as adults to cause labor troubles. Factory owners wanted to
use their small, nimble fingers for tending machines. Children worked for low pay in dirty, poorly
lighted factories, mills, and mines. They often performed jobs that really required adult strength.
Many children worked to help support their unemployed parents. Orphans were forced into labour.
Similar conditions became common in the United States during the late 1700's.
Child workers were often deprived of the chance to attend school. Uneducated, the only work they
were capable of doing was unskilled labor. So, they had little chance to better themselves. However
some kind factory owners did educate the boys of the factory after they had done a days work while
the girls went home to cook clean and men clothes.
Early child labour laws,
In 1802, the British Parliament passed the first law regulating child labour. The law prohibited the
employment of pauper children (children dependent on charity) under 9 years of age in cotton
mills. Pauper children under 14 could not work at night, and their workday was limited to 12 hours.
In 1819, the law was extended to include

Essay On Child Labor
Child labor was a staple during the Urbanization of the United States of America. Fresh out of a
bloody Civil War that took the lives of at least 618,000. Child labor was very dangerous. Especially
in the steel mills because of the lack of safety equipment. It was also very dangerous because the
children laborers were very young for the jobs they were doing for such cheap pay. Anywhere
between 12–16 years old. Since they were all very young they were not very strong. So due to
them being weak, young, basically meeting no physical conditions to be able to work efficient the
steel mill owners would take advantage of that. They saw cheap labor. Very cheap and easy labor.
There was child labor that was socially acceptable at the time and still...show more content...
The negative side of the "apprenticeship" is that the former slave owner could use and abuse his
"apprentice". The courts allowed lots of apprenticeships. Most people would assume that they used
that as a cover for what they really wanted to use the "apprentice" for.
Another common theme was people called "padrones". They were basically the recruiting
department to find young Italian boys in Italy and have them and their family sign an "apprentice"
contract. The contract was labeled that the boys would be shipped off to America from Italy to learn
to play an instrument. Now, they did learn to play an instrument but not like they had imagined
when first signing the apprentice contract. They would learn to play instruments, but they then were
forced onto street corners to perform and make the padrone's money. The children that were good
enough to make any money would be on good terms with the padrones. Those who protested and
didn't make any money would often get beatings consequently for not making the padrone money.
The kids wouldn't often even get any money. (Michael Schuman, History of child labor in the United
States–part 1: little children working)
A perfect example on how the child labor was in the south is "...hundreds of under–nourished,
over–worked and scantily clad little boys and girls do the galley–slave act in the treadmill of
industry in Democratic territory." (Washington Bee (Washington (DC), District of Columbia)
10–02–1920

Child Labour and Ethics Essay
Utilitarianism
We have all heard that child labour is a bad thing, however, lets try and think В– is it, really?
By introducing child labour companies save millions of dollars which are passed to the consumer
as a cheaper price on products they buy from our firm, if there are more profits there are more taxes
paid to the Government. By having better profit margins our company is able to pay bigger dividends
to shareholders thus giving them a better return on their investment and making them richer.
And to top it off, the children are not being forced to work В– they are working out of their free will
В– what our company does is give children the opportunity to earn some extra money if they feel
like it.
In the end, every...show more content...
Imagine yourself living in China and being poor or single parent with a child or being a child without
parents В– there is little support for the poor from the Government and if are a child with no parents
you will most likely be living on the streets with the dogs.
I can say with great pride that our company, or in fact any company that uses child labour helps
poor people in these kind of situation. A child that has no parents will have his chance to make his
own living, which otherwise would have been minimal В– children in these circumstances either die
or turn to a life of crime which ends them in prison.
Our company gives alternative choice to children in need when the governments cannot support
them.
And if your family or if you are a single parent struggling to put food on the table and have a place
where to live В– why not let your child help you do that? Why shouldn't he be able to help if you
are really struggling?
And the good thing is В– children become mature at younger age, they begin to understand the cost
of living and that nothing in life is free, which in turn will help them become better, more
hard–working and appreciative individuals in the future.
So, yes В– I do think that our company is doing Good to societies that really need

Child Labor Essay
Child Labour
Child Labour In the past few years, a great deal of attention has been drawn to the global problem
of child labour. Virtually everyone is guilty of participating in this abusive practice through the
purchase of goods made in across the globe, usually in poor, developing nations. This issue has been
around for a great length of time but has come to the forefront recently because of reports that link
well known American companies like Wal–Mart and Nike to the exploitation of children. Prior to
this media attention, many Americans and other people in developed nation were blind to the reality
of the oppressive conditions that are reality to many.
Child Labour has been in existence in different forms from the beginning of...show more content...
At the factory, Iqbal would begin work around 6 a.m., working 14–hour days with one 30–minute
break for lunch. The conditions in the factory were very poor with very little lighting and no
fresh air. The children that worked there were not allowed to speak and were often beaten if the
broke the rules or made mistakes. When Iqbal was 10 years old, he was severely beaten by the
factory owner, a man named Arshbad, and decided to escape and report it to the police. When the
police looked the other way, Iqbal was forced to return to the factory and was chained to his loom.
Some time later, Iqbal escaped and went to a meeting of the Bonded Labour Liberation Front, an
organization whose goal was to free Pakistan's bonded workers. Here Iqbal listened to a man
named Kahn talk and spoke to him afterward. With Kahn's help, Iqbal was free and started to
attend a school operated by the BLLF. Iqbal became a crusader for the rights of children,
addressing crowds across India and Pakistan. His work had a large impact, reducing the export
demand once people in developed nations heard of the conditions in the factories. Iqbal was awarded
the Reebok Human Rights award in 1994 and continued to study hard at school with dreams of
becoming a lawyer and fighting for children's rights. Because his work had resulted in the loss of
income to many factory workers due to a decrease in the export

Child Labor Essay
Child Labor
The next time when you are out on your shopping trip, chances you may have support a business
that exploits children. It is very disturbing and heartbreaking to learn many children are chained to
looms for 12 hours a day because families need to have their child bringing home a small amount of
moneys. Child labor has always been a difficult subject to address, the topic have become much more
complicated and prolific.
Child Labor is not an isolated problem. The phenomenon of child labor is an effect of economic
discrimination. In different parts of the world, at different stages of histories, laboring of child has
been a part of economic life. More than 200 million children worldwide, some are as young as 4 and
5...show more content...
Most of them (57 million) were in Asia. However, over the previous ten years, he found that the
absolute number of children working was declining in Asia but rising in the Americas and Africa,
sharply in the latter. The problem is enormous, but the trend, fortunately, is heading in the right
direction. The overall growth of an economy is by no means the only factor, nor for that matter the
most important factor, in the mitigation of child labor. Depending upon many variables, from
economic development, to political structure, corruption, and other external factors, some families
need to have their child bringing home a small amount of moneys. Therefore, the child labor
phenomenon is reasonable. One important which caused child labor is the poverty. The birthrate is
so high that create overpopulation and cause poverty and lack of primary education. One way that
many families in traditional societies attempt to cope with the pressure of overpopulation and the
resulting unemployment is to send children to urban areas to find cash employment. Sending their
child out on the labor force is a way to exchange for small loans or to repay the debts of the parents
or grandparents. In most Asia countries, they don't have social security for the elder, so parents
often rely on their children for financial support. There were some disturbing cases that children are
bought and sold for cash or for the settlement of a debt. Some

Essay on Child Labor Around the World
Child Labor Around the World
Child Labor in Mexico
Eight to eleven million children under the age of fifteen work in Mexico. There is a small number
under fourteen. The children are employed in export oriented maquiladoras, or assembly factories
between Mexico and the United States. Maquilas are affiliates of American owned companies that
assemble goods for export, transportation equipment, electrical and electric products, toys , sporting
goods, textiles and furniture. The work force is made up of mostly young females. The maquilas
like to use children because it is really easy to get underage work and the owners do not have to pay
the children that much.
Most of the girls start just between minimum age,...show more content...
Ninety one percent lived and slept in weaving sheds without things like light, ventilation or toilets.
During professional weaving, three to six children and adults sit shoulder to shoulder in a damp
pit where the loom is located. Health related problems include over ninety percent of children
complained of lower body swelling and pain in the joints. Constant skin problems form from the
woolen fluff. There is extremely bad lighting and many children have developed bad eyesight
because of it. At many places the children are beaten if they try to leave.
In a bonded labor system, parents are given a cash advance or "loan" by recruiters. The child is
taken to work off the family debts. Debts never paid off, the child is a servant.
Gemstone Polishing
Gemstone polishing is the largest export to United States. Six thousand to one hundred thousand
children work in the diamond industry, cutting and polishing. Suart, Gujart is a major diamond
exportand also has the largest amount of child labor.
Mostly boys twelve to thirteen polish for seven to nine hours a day. The children are paid by the
number of diamonds polished.
Jaipur, Rajasthan is a very large gemstone export and has seven thousand to thirteen thousand child
workers.
There are two categories of child workers:
1. Children from six to ten years of age and come from families

Essay on Child Labour
Child Labour
Child labour is one of the topic that presents strong emotions, beliefs and opinions. Most people are
opposed to the involvement of children in labour force activities when they are at an age when other
activities, such as education and play, should be the central role in development. However, child
labour represents an extremely difficult and complex issue which often extends beyond emotions,
beliefs and opinions. Much of this has to do with the understanding that a wide variety of factors,
such as economic, cultural, social, political and legal concerns, are part of any child labour problems
as well as the solution to these problems. With this in mind, the purpose of this paper will be to
...show more content...
However, while poverty is an important causal factor, it is often the case that it is not the only factor.
For example, some studies have indicated that some child workers "...are from relatively
affluent families, and engage in the business for excitement and pocket money"5. This would
seem to suggest that "...cultural and economic factors here interact in complex ways to
encourage child work and need to be understood together"6.
An examination of existing trends regarding child labour often reveals contradictory and even
disturbing developments. More specifically, official data from most countries have shown "...a
gradual, long–term decline in child labour, but many experts assert that recent economic crisis in the
developing countries has led to an upsurge in juvenile workers"7. Even though child labour is
primarily found in developing countries, and that this can be largely attributed to the economic,
social and cultural environment, there is some indication of a resurgence in this activity in
industrialized countries. Much of this activity also happens to be everywhere and familiar, such as a
child who shines shoes for a living, who is at home tending younger children or who is helping in a
family farm and business working such long hours that it is impossible to play or even attend school.
If anything, this emphasizes that much of the attention that has been focused on

Child Labor Essay
Child Labor Child labor has been around for long time and it still exists in today's world. Thiskind
of labor provides problems or difficulties in the economic world. Child labor is social problem with
the rise of industrial production and capitalism. It appeared in earlier ages in agricultural societies
when the children all around the world had to work along with 19th century, spreading to many
countries. The problems started when many children, younger than ten years old, were employed by
factories. In this paper I will address the issues and history of child labor, the child labor laws, and
my suggestions or solutions to child labor problems. Child labor is defined as the employment of
children under the...show more content...
Of these, 120 million children are working full time to help support their families. Of those, 171
million work in hazardous conditions, such as working in mines, working with chemicals and
working with dangerous machinery. Most of these workers are in Africa, Asia, Latin America and
Sub–Saharan
Africa. There are 153 million of child laborers in Asia, 80 million in Africa and 17.5 million in Latin
America. Sub–Saharan Africa has an estimated 48 million child workers.
Approximately 2.5 million children are working in industrialized and transition economies. Child
labor is also reported in Italy, Portugal, UK, US and Eastern Europe.
The Children's Rights Division at Human Watch says that children who work long hours in
dangerous and unhealthy conditions, are exposed to lasting physical and psychological harm. The
Children's Rights Division gave some examples of work that children are harmed from. Working
at rug looms, has left children disabled with eye damage, lung disease and stunted growth.
Children making silk thread in India dip their hands into boiling water that burns and blisters them,
breath smoke and fumes from machinery and medical care if often not available. There is also
bonded labor, which takes place when a family hand over their child to an employer for an advance
payment. In most cases the child can't work off the debt, and neither can the family raise

Importance Of Child Labour
Introduction:
Child labour is defined as children who provide work and as a result of this, can possibly affect
their mental and physical health. As well as this, if the work interferes with their education or
removes the option to go to school; it is classed as child labour (International Labour Organization
2017). The International labour office (2012) estimates that 168 million children in the world are
experiencing a form of child labour and more than half of them are in work that has a direct
impact on their health. In this literature review, I investigate the effects of businesses using child
labour and two sides to why child labour can be seen as good and bad. I will also analyse corporate
social responsibility and how this applies to businesses with using child labour as an example.
Methodology:
This literature review will not include the use of any primary research however will use secondary
and only secondary research. This will involve me using online websites and articles as research, as
well as this, I will be using the University of Brighton Aldrich Library.
Laws and Regulations:
The minimum age for employment in the UK for part time work is 13 only for acting or
modelling careers and they would need a licence in order to work in the specific areas and for full
time employment, the minimum age is 16 (GOV.UK 2017). However, many businesses in the UK
have previously included child labour in their production such as Marks and Spencer's who had
Syrian

Essays On Child Labour

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