The Pros and Cons of Child Labor

When asked, many will tell you that they are dead set against the concept of child labor. In the developed countries, child labor is absolutely prohibited. No child is allowed to work before the age of sixteen or seventeen, unless given special permission by their parent(s), and even then, the options are extremely strict and few. However, a child is allowed to have such jobs as a paper route or babysitting, at an acceptable age.

In North America, child labor laws were first set up in and around 1915 with two agendas in mind. One was to abolish the practice of having children working jobs that were unsafe and unsuited to young children. Some jobs were far too dangerous for these young children to be doing, even risking death or disfigurement.

The other purpose was due to the fact, that because it was cheaper to hire children, many adults found themselves out of work and unable to provide for their families, which presented more problems for the American family to deal with. It is believed that much of the depression during the 1930's was due to too many children, still in the workforce, working for the low wages. Adults then found themselves either vying for the same job, at the same low wage, or being out of work altogether. Because it was more important for the adults to have the work, both to provide their families with the necessities of life, as well as being more beneficial to the American economy, the laws were then reinstated and enforced again in the 1930's.

The Pros of Child Labor

A lot of people will look unfavorably at developing countries when they see young children working. These children, who should be in school learning basic educational skills, are instead in the streets or shops doing hard, manual labor for long, endless hours.

Yes, children of all ages should be in school or out playing with friends, enjoying their childhood. However, this is not always a perfect world. Sometimes, because of extreme and extenuating circumstances, these children must help in providing their families with just the basic essentials in life, such as food and shelter. Without their jobs, the family doesn't eat or may find themselves living in the streets or unfit, cardboard-clad shacks.

It would be beneficial if the governments of these countries were as aware of the situation as was North America at the turn of the 20th century, enforcing the same laws, but unfortunately it is just not happening.

It has also been brought to world attention, that by abolishing child labor in developing countries, homeless children without parents or adult supervision, tend to enter the sex trade or lean towards other criminal activities in order to earn money to live. It is better that they HAVE "legitimate" jobs, even if they are in the sweat shops or doing tedious work for long hours, in the streets or open air markets. It is a far better solution, than for them to be prostituting themselves at such ridiculously young ages, where diseases and the criminal element run rampant.

The Con Side of Child Labor

This brings to the forefront that children are definitely exploited, unfortunately. Companies (including North American companies) will often hire them as they can get away with paying much lower wages to a child, keeping larger profits for themselves. This will in fact, take away the jobs from their parents (or adults), who might expect to be paid a bit more.

In turn, so many adults are left feeling unproductive and probably somewhat ashamed that it's the children who are supporting the family financially. This can, and does in fact, lead to so many other social problems, as we ourselves experienced during the "depression" years.

This also keeps young children working far into their adult lives, at such low paying work, never getting out of the rut to do better for themselves. It keeps them out of school. Without proper education, it perpetuates extreme poverty levels as a way of life. This is how companies are able to take advantage of them.

This sets in motion, a system entwined in a catch-22 situation. Someone in the families have to work, and if children are the only ones to get the job, then that is the way it must be. It doesn't make it right, but until governments around the world start to stand "for" the people of their own countries, rather than for just themselves, then nothing will change anytime soon.