Child labor, negative effect on childhood
Today more than 250 million boys and girls work and possibly 150 million or more do so. Adding that every year more than one million children are victims of human trafficking.
The ILO explains that “child labor is considered child labor that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and dignity and is harming for the growth of these. Child labor strips children of their rights and childhood, it could even become a problem for both physical and psychological development.
No child should have the obligation to work, but unfortunately there are times when they are forced by their own family for the following causes:
- Low resources. They do not have necessary resources such as food, clothes, access to housing, health or education, even abandoning studies.
- Loneliness. In most cases children are alone, for this reason they have to go to work to survive. Sometimes they are even become sex slaves.
- Lack of access to education. These children are the ones who are most likely to become victims of child labor.
- Child abuse. Other boys and girls work because in their homes there is violence, abuse or abandonment, which forces them to look for ways to obtain money to survive on their own.
Family members also send children to the streets to work, not knowing that with this what they do is risk more exploitation victims, since people take advantage of their innocence. Girls could be more affected since they suffer discrimination, people believe that because they are women more vulnerable to use, especially sexual abuse and prostitution.
In some cases, child labor also endangers dignity, and the moral of the child, especially when he is a victim of sexual exploitation, such as prostitution or child pornography.
In addition, children who work are more exposed to malnutrition and are usually victims of physical, mental and sexual violence. According to the UN Agency for Refugees "child labor has serious consequences that have an impact on the correct physical and emotional development of children who suffer from it" (Eaucnur.org). On a psychological level, children who work on the street are exposed to the premature maturation situation, physically, these children suffer from dermatological, gastrointestinal problems among other health problems.
Child labor prevents millions of children from all over the world, to exercise their rights to free education and enjoy the game and recreation, necessary elements for full development in a stage of development. With this the infants lose their present and sacrifice their future. His present because instead of dedicating themselves to studying and playing, they are involved in adult jobs. They sacrifice their future because having not attended school or having received adequate education, they will have less opportunities to obtain good jobs.
In conclusion, child labor should not be negatively affecting children in all possible ways. It has a harmful effect on the health and development of infants. Children should enjoy their childhood and educate. No more abuse.
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