Child labour and its impact on childhood and child health Essay

Child labour and its impact on childhood and child health - Essay Example The study â€Å"Child labour and its impact on childhood and child health† examines the issue of child labour on a global scale. According to the International Labour Organization, approximately 215 million children worldwide are employed as full time labour with little or no access to education and play. They have no access to proper nutrition or care and are essentially, deprived of their right to childhood. A significant number of these children live in third world countries, where the children are exposed to hazardous environments, which are deemed to be detrimental for their physical and mental health. According to estimates, almost 14 per cent of the world's children under the age of 18 are engaged in active employment. This proportion is higher in third world countries such as India, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Yemen. The interest in child labour issues has increased significantly over the recent decades indicating the gravity of the issue and its far reaching impacts on the children globally. Research indicates that the environmental conditions of workplaces play a key role in the health and well-being of the workers. Children are far more vulnerable to ill-health if made to work in extreme conditions, as compared to adults. Research suggests that due to anatomical differences between the children and adults, child workers are relatively more vulnerable to occupational health hazards. Constant exposure to carcinogens is known to cause cancer among children as compared to adults with similar amounts of exposure.... For instance, constant exposure to carcinogens is known to cause cancer among children as compared to adults with similar amounts of exposure. Furthermore children are prone to occupational injuries at work places as compared to adults, since they experience more fatigue and stress and have less knowledge and poor judgement than adults. Also, they are often made to work with tools which are mainly designed for adults thus making it difficult for them to handle them effectively (Bekele & Meyers, 1995). Furthermore child labour diversely affects the children’s education, and robs them of their basic right to rest, play, and leisure. Involvement of children in hazardous occupations at an early age may lead to serious health consequences affecting their physical as well as mental development. It may even lead to irreversible damage resulting in permanent disability (Hindman, 2009). According to WHO almost 111 million children under the age of 15 are involved in hazardous work whic h includes environments with high levels of chemicals, noise, and ergonomic risks such as lifting heavy loads etc. It also includes longer durations of work, night work, and work environments which may lead to physical and sexual harassment (WHO, 2012). It is argued that children in full time employment and forced to work for long hours are deprived of their right to leisure (Hobbs, McKechnie, and Lavalette, 1999; Haspels & Jankanish, 2000) thus resulting in emotional and psychological stress (Tienda & Wilson, 2002). Some researchers have observed that children are often paid a meagre amount for the same amount of work done by their adult peers. Furthermore child