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Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure
Published on: September 19, 2019
Children at Work, Child Labor and Modern Slavery in India: An Overview
1Department of Pediatrics, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi, India. Correspondence to: Dr Rajendra N Srivastava, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi, India. drrnsri@gmail.com.
Insights
India has approximately 40 million child laborers, often subjected to hazardous work and exploitation akin to modern slavery. Addressing poverty, illiteracy, and societal attitudes is crucial to prevent child exploitation.
Area of Science:
- Social Sciences
- Public Health
- Economics
Background:
- Child labor in India affects an estimated 40 million children, often in hazardous occupations.
- Child labor is viewed as modern slavery, with children forced into work, bonded servitude, trafficking, and sexual exploitation.
- Root causes include poverty and illiteracy, exacerbated by societal attitudes enabling abuse and exploitation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the scale and multifaceted nature of child labor in India.
- To identify the detrimental health and developmental consequences for working children.
- To examine the ineffectiveness of current legal measures due to socioeconomic conditions.
Main Methods:
- This study is a review of existing literature and data on child labor in India.
- Analysis of reported statistics on the prevalence of child labor across various sectors.
- Examination of legal frameworks and their limitations in addressing child labor.
Main Results:
- Children are exposed to significant health risks in agriculture (machinery, pesticides) and urban jobs (fumes, chemicals, domestic work).
- Child laborers are deprived of education, healthcare, childhood, and dignity, with many in bonded labor or victims of trafficking.
- Existing legal protections are often undermined by severe socioeconomic challenges.
Conclusions:
- Child labor in India is a complex issue with deep socioeconomic roots, leading to severe exploitation and deprivation.
- While complete abolition is challenging, concerted efforts from government, professional bodies, and civil society can prevent exploitation.
- Addressing poverty, promoting education, and changing societal attitudes are essential for protecting children's rights and well-being.
Abstract:
There is a large child work force in India reported to be about 40 million. Child labor is being regarded as a form of modern slavery, as children are forced to work or have no choice to refuse work. Children are employed in a variety of occupations, many of which are hazardous. Exposure to machinery, pesticides, dust in agricultural work and fumes, chemicals, acids, cotton and wool fiber in other forms of work is detrimental to health. A large number are held in bonded servitude. In urban areas, children are employed as domestic helpers and engaged in eateries and auto-repair work. Trafficking and trading of children for work and sexual slavery are also major concerns. Poverty and illiteracy are root causes of child labor, but iniquitous societal attitudes are responsible for abuse and exploitation. Working children are deprived of proper health care and education, and lose their childhood and dignity. Several legal measures exist to prevent child labor and protect them from harm, but are thwarted by the distressing socioeconomic conditions. Although child labor would be difficult to abolish, exploitation can be prevented with concerted efforts of the government agencies, professional bodies and the civil society.
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