The Definition Of Child Labor: What Is Child Labor?

What is Child Labor?
Child Labor is one of the reasons why children stop schooling or do not study at all. But first, what is child labor? Not all child work is considered child labor. According to Aldaba, Lanzona and Tamangan (2004), one must incorporate both national and international definition regarding child labor considering 3 factors which include the type of activity the child is engaged to, their age and parental supervision. Basically, children who are engaged to any work which is considered as the “worst form” are called child labourers. This “worst forms” of work are occupations that endanger the general welfare and long-term development of a child. Age is also a factor regarding child labor. If a child under the age of 15 years old works without any supervision of parents, they are considered as child labourers since they are not guided by their parents and the work done by the child, even if it is not the “worst form” is also considered as child labor. Other definitions of child labor include that of Edmonds and Pavcnik (2005), wherein child labor is defined as “economic activities deleterious to the well-being of children” which also means that these are work dangerous to the health and welfare of a child. The United Nations define such activity as “any work that children should not be doing because they are too young to work or – if they are old enough to work – because it is dangerous or otherwise unsuitable for them”. This only means that whether a child is a minor or at a legal age, if the work done by these children is unsuitable for their age, it is still considered as child labor. Child labor is also defined as a work that has too much responsibility for a child and is not appropriate for their age. Furthermo...

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