Social Sciences Project Abstract
SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF CHILD LABOR AND ITS EFFECTS IN THE THIRD WORLD GLOBAL PRETEXT
Presenters:
Nikhil Agarwal, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, 1500 W. Sullivan Road, Aurora, IL 60506; nagarwal@imsa.edu
Kent Limson, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, 1500 W. Sullivan Road, Aurora, IL 60506; kenny@imsa.edu
Advisor:
Christian Nokketved, Ph.D., History and Social Science, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, 1500 W. Sullivan Road, Aurora, IL 60506; 630-907-5000; drnok@imsa.edu
Abstract:
Child labour is simply the most severe form of child exploitation and child abuse in the world today. The overwhelming majority of working children are found in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Child labor also exists in many industrialized countries and is emerging in a number of East European countries that are now in transition to a free market economy. Although Bangladesh accounts for less than 2 percent of the world population, it is the home of 6.6 million working children, accounting for more than 5 percent of the world's working child population numbering 120 million. Many of them work 48 hours a week on an average, earning less than 500 taka per month. Early involvement of children in work leads to serious health and developmental consequences. Working children suffer significant growth deficits as compared with school children. They grow up shorter and lighter, and their body size continues to be smaller even in adulthood. Many of them work under conditions that leave them alarmingly vulnerable to chemical and biological hazards. Moreover, children in certain occupations experience particular types of abuse. Child domestic workers are often found to be victims of verbal and sexual abuse, beating or punishment by starvation.