HISTORY OF CHILD LABOR RELATED TO CHILDHOOD

History of Child Labor Related to Childhood

History of Child Labor Related to Childhood

Child Labor In America, people believe that child labor does not affect them, not realizing that the Persian rugs they put their feet on are made by suffering children in a dark, small room. They don't realize the soccer balls that their children are kicking around outside are made by children themselves, who slave away for little or no pay at all. In 1999, ap-proximately 250 million children are employed or enslaved across the world for little or no money at all (Gay 23).

Imagine how these child workers are depraved from experi-ences the joys of childhood. These poor children never get to play outside or enjoy a simple game. Child labor is a harrowing experience for anyone involved in it. In order to end this travesty of child labor, the world must unite as one to create coalitions and companies that aid child laborers. All over the world children are laboring for little or no money. Desperate families sell their children in order to get a loan from corrupt employers. The child is treated like a slave; he has no say in the matter and can be forced to work up to 18 hours a day, seven days a week (Barry 1).

The conditions of these children are of great public concern. U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich and other notable politicians attempt to end the suf-fering of these impoverish children. Several companies and organizations are also con-cerned with the squalor these workers live in and their staggering working conditions. They attempt to not purchase products made by child laborers (Boukhari 2). Children all over the world are suffering from physical, emotional, and sexual abuse that transpires from child labor. Physical abuse is common place in sweatshops where children work. If the child becomes too slow, or makes a mistake or whines, the child could be beaten, tortured, or slaughtered (George 35). Small children are forced to climb under dangerous working machines and handle hazardous items with bare hands. But even worse is the sexual abuse of children. The unscrupulous employers often pur-sue children as sexual prey, raping boys and girls everyday. Children are forced to live in brothels and have sex with men up to six times their own ages (Boukhari 4).

Many of the carpet factories serve as enlistment centers for brothels. The only money these girls make is usually less than 15-cent tips from clients (Berry 2). Even after the child breaks free from the horrors of child labor the memories and emotional scars from the physical and sexual abuse are embedded in their mind forever. Children should not be forced to suffer adult maladies. Imagine a child aged seven, who is supposed to be full of vitality and energy, having arthritis, bad back, and cataracts. These are just some of the maladies that child laborers in Indian rug shops suf-fer ...