Ethical Child Labor

The primary purpose of this paper is to examine the conditions of child labor, and determine if the behaviors are deemed ethical. The International Labour Organization (ILO) defines, child labor as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential, and their dignity, and that is harmful to their mental and physical development (Sturrock & Hodes, 2016, p. 1273). Child labor occurs around the world more often then we realize. The working conditions in some of the developing countries are considered unsafe and unhealthy for their well-being. Many of these children do not have a choice in the decision to enter the workforce, and laws either seem to be undermined or nonexistent. To help provide further insight into the occurrence

The occurrence of child labor

According to Sturrock and Hodes (2016), one in seven children worldwide is exposed to child labor, which is an estimated 215 million children (p. 1273). Child labor is considered to be more common in low-income than in high-income areas. Usually, families that are poor consider supplementing their income by forcing their children into the workforce. In many of these situations, the adults became ill and lacked the necessary safety net to protect them against illness, poor harvest and job loss (Napel & Napel, 2012, p.109). Due to the constraints placed on the family by the adult's inabilities, the children are used as a safety net and as a way to support the family. Although this may be the case in some situations, some cultures and traditions expect children to join the workforce at early ages. These children work in various positions, including mining, agricultural, construction, manufacturing, hotels, bars, farms, restaurants, fast food establishments, and domestic services ("Hazardous child labour

However, the legislation was passed and accepted by Congress in 1938 and was known as the Fair Labor Standards Act. This act fixed the minimum ages of 16 for work during school hours, 14 for specific jobs after school, and 18 for any position involving dangerous work ( A History of Child Labor | Scholastic, n.d.). There are also laws in place international as well such as the Minimum Age Convention of 1973 that restricted the age and jobs of many children ("Children’s Rights", n.d.). Although, the law covers a majority of the industrial and hazardous working environment some classifications of work are still left unregulated. For example, children of migrant workers have no legal protection and can be employed outside of school hours ( A History of Child Labor | Scholastic, n.d.). These children pick crops in the fields and move from place to place, so they get little to no