Child labour: causes, consequences, and prevention strategies

Child Labour

Child labor is considered to be one of the most important problems the world faces today. It is not only a human problem, but also an ethical one. It raises questions both in terms of the human exploitation of the individual, as well as moral questions. Whereas the aspects related to the part of the physical exploitation can easily be dealt with through proper legislation and an increase in the awareness of the society at large, there remains the issue of the morality of the practice. This is however an important aspect and a difficult one to asses. Therefore, the question is thus related to the actual morality and ethics of child labor. Is it ethical and moral to exploit children for financial gains? On the other hand however, is it moral to offer them a worse alternative, starvation and precarious conditions of life?

The research was conducted by focusing on several aspects. On the one hand, the matter of the actual definition of the notion was taken into consideration precisely because "there is no generally accepted definition of child labor. Varying definitions of the term are used by international organizations, non-governmental organizations, trade unions and other interest groups. Writers and speakers don't always specify what definition they are using, and that often leads to confusion." (Child Labor and Global Village, n.d.) on the other hand, it is precisely this confusion which determines the question over the morality of the endeavor. There are those who argue that in fact not all child labor is wrong. And there are those who consider that there are no other solutions. For the latter case, certain interviews are relevant which children who voluntarily started working, under different circumstances, in order to earn their living (Brazier, n.d.).

The ethical issues involved in the situation concern the degree in which child labor can be considered moral. Thus, while some view it an even a positive thing if the child works as a paper boy before school, an activity which teaches him responsibility, other consider that despite the potential pay, it drives him away from the activities he could conduct as a child. Therefore, there is the question of drawing the line between responsibilities, growing up and childhood. Hence, should the child work if the alternative is to starve? The answer is affirmative, because in this way they would still have the right to life. At the same time though, depending on the conditions, the child can die working.

Similarly, should the child work and engage in lucrative activities, is the remuneration criterion the one drawing the line between exploitation and fair working? Finally, an aspect which may seem important is the perception we tend to have on child labor. More precisely, it is fair to say that children work everywhere in the world. However, by comparison, children in America have much better conditions that children in Africa who rarely receive payment for their services and most often they are deprived of any schooling activity or leisure time (Child Labor: when it is right/wrong?, n.d.).

The actors involved in the process of child labor include the states which allow this, most of them being African and Asian states, as well as the international organizations which try to deal with the issues arising from child labor. In terms of solutions, these are strictly related to the actors involved. Therefore, the states where such activities are practiced must take into account the legal means to regulate them to such an extent as to not pose a threat to the lives and futures of children. On the other hand, international organizations must work closely to establish a certain legal framework above the national legal standards which would ensure the respect for the right of the child to benefit from a proper education, possibilities for the future, as well as a basic standard of life. These cannot be achieved without a thorough and coordinated action at the international level.

Overall, the issue of child labor is nowadays a crucial matter for discussion. The questions raised by it includes the degree of morality such practices pose. While some say it is moral because it saves children from starvation, other counter by arguing it deprives them from proper education and a healthy childhood. A possible solution however would be to engage all the parties involved in a complex process of reducing child labor while increasing the possibilities for their education and life.