A study conducted by the International Labor Organization found that more than fifty million people are facing modern slavery situations every day. They are either forced into a marriage or required to work against their will. Over the years, forced labor has been growing gradually. And it is affecting men, women, and children. In this article, we are going to focus on child labor. There are a handful of people in the world who violate child rights and protection. One of the leading reasons for sending children to work is poverty. While it might help in bringing food to the table for a short while, it doesn’t break the cycle of poverty.
Defining Child Labor
This is a broad and emotive subject that revolves around exploiting children by forcing them to work. When this happens, they get deprived of their education and childhood. It also leads to mental, physical, and social harm. As a college student, your tutor might require you to research child labor and write a good essay. When this happens, you need to explore free child labor essay samples for inspiration before you start writing. You can also consider working with essay and research paper experts to learn more about this topic, save time and get good grades.
Common Forms of Child Labor
While you might think that child labor revolves around forcing children to work, there’s more than meets the eye. There are different forms of child labor. And some are worse than others. Let’s discuss more them:
- Slavery – This is where an individual is owned by another person. And they are forced to work for them without voicing their opinions. Slaves are usually held against their will from the time they are either purchased, born, or captured.
- Child trafficking – This is the illegal buying, moving, and selling of children for sexual exploitation or labor. Children get trafficked for a wide range of reasons such as prostitution, forced labor, and being hired as beggars or soldiers.
- Debt bondage – This is where a child is required to work to pay off loans that their parents or guardians cannot pay. In most instances, children have to work for years to clear the balance.
- Sexual exploitation – This involves abusing, mistreating, or taking advantage of people for personal profit through prostitution. Prostitution revolves around exchanging sexual activities for a set amount of money. Across the world, children get exploited sexually by being used in pornography or social performances. Children usually get abused physically, sexually transmitted diseases, and malnutrition.
Causes of Child Labor
In most nations across the world, the causes of child labor are quite similar. The leading ones include the following:
- Poverty – This is one of the leading causes of child labor. Children who are raised in poverty usually become unskilled workers who have to do everything in their power to help their families survive.
- Crises – Over the last ten years, many crises have happened. Some of the common ones include natural disasters, economic crises, and wars.
- Poor access to quality education – When investors fail to come together to create educational projects, some learners will have a hard time going to college. If a child lives in a conflict-area zone, it can be difficult for learners to access books and quality education.
Effects of Child Labor
Children who get exploited tend to suffer from anxiety and depression. And these states of mind force them to form destructive habits such as alcoholism, smoking, and substance abuse. Abusive environments can lead to poor self-esteem and relationship issues. When adults encourage forced labor among children, they gradually destroy future generations. Instead of weakening our society, we can handle this widespread issue now and prepare our children to be responsible individuals in the community.
How to Eliminate Child Labor?
As you have seen, the effects of child labor cannot be ignored. Everyone has a role to play to eradicate this issue. Here are some of the best ways to handle this issue:
1. Stakeholders Must Take Action
In most instances, parents force their children to work because they don’t have a way of providing them with quality education. Child labor becomes socially accepted when adults don’t have any other solution in mind. Governments need to break the poverty cycle and enforce the law. All companies should employ adults. And consumers should avoid purchasing the products or services of child labor.
2. Increase Access to Learning
Eliminating child labor doesn’t mean that children will start going to school. Education can be of poor quality or costly. And that’s why parents send their loved ones to work. Small and large organizations need to raise awareness about the benefits of education in the workplace and society.
Conclusion
In different parts of the world, children are subjected to forced labor. Most parents allow this to happen because they cannot afford to pay tuition fees or the quality of education in the area is poor. The effects of child labor cannot be ignored. Children are likely to abuse drugs, suffer from anxiety and depression, and have issues building relationships. We all have a role to play to eradicate this issue. Governments need to help adults in getting out of poverty and enforce the law. Organizations should avoid hiring individuals who are not adults. And consumers should avoid buying the products of child labor. Breaking the cycle of poverty and education and increasing access to education can also go a long way in eradicating this issue.
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