Child Exploitation
In the present day, almost all members of any community across the globe are negatively affected by various social issues. As a matter of fact, throughout history, infants and children have permanently been among the most vulnerable to discrimination and powerless members of society (Kendall, 2004). In the past, children were traditionally regarded as their parents’ property and completely depended on their decisions. In the present day, although the majority of attitudes in developed countries are more liberal, children remain potentially affected by multiple social problems including family instability, maltreatment by family members, relatives, and other caregivers, poverty, and sexual exploitation (Kendall, 2004). In general, child exploitation may be regarded as an international problem that may be represented in various forms, including:
- the involvement of children and adolescents in hazardous and harmful work;
- child domestic work;
- the recruitment and involvement of children and adolescents in armed conflicts;
- child soldiers;
- pornography and sexual exploitation;
- the use of children and adolescents for criminal activities, such as the distribution and sale of drugs (Terre des Hommes, n.d.).
At the same time, it is highly essential to differentiate child work and child exploitation. According to national organizations that work in the sphere of children’s rights, child work may be defined as “the participation of children in an economic activity which is not detrimental to their health and mental and physical development” (Terre des Hommes, n.d., para. 3). In other words, children have a right to work a limited amount of hours, and the working load should be arranged according to their abilities and age (Terre des Hommes, n.d.). In addition, any work should not interfere with children’s leisure activities and education. Child work may have substantial advantages as it teaches children techniques, skills, and essential social values that may be beneficial for their personal development.
In turn, according to the same official organizations, child exploitation refers to all types of activities that jeopardize children’s mental, physical, emotional, social, and educational development (Terre des Hommes, n.d.). Traditionally, children are exploited whenever they are forced to work for long hours in inappropriate or hazardous conditions despite being too small, weak, and young, whenever a considerable, profit may be made from a lack of power and their vulnerability, and whenever they are abused to other people’s benefit.
Causes of Child Exploitation
Even though in line with Convention 182 on the worst forms of child labor, hazardous work is prohibited for all children worldwide, environmental factors in particular countries engage children to child labor’s worst forms (Terre des Hommes, n.d.). Climate change, natural disasters, pollution, the depletion of natural resources, destroying ecosystems, invasion of multiple diseases, and dumping toxic wastes may be regarded as the most prominent causes of child exploitation (Myers & Theytaz-Bergman, 2017). According to UNICEF, “over half a billion children are living in areas with extremely high levels of floods and nearly 160 million live in areas of high or extremely high droughts” (Myers & Theytaz-Bergman, 2017, p. 6). These climate changes along with soil depletion or deforestation have a highly negative impact on the communities’ living conditions, increase the levels of poverty, and promote child exploitation.
Economic and social conditions traditionally have an immeasurably strong influence on child exploitation as well. The poverty that forces parents to work several jobs and considerably high rates of single parenthood and divorce currently cause a substantial number of children to face “a complex array of problems and social relationships in their families” (Kendall, 2004, p. 99). As a result, young people experience indifference, violence, or a lack of attention from their family members. According to the reports of the Children’s Defense Fund, 144 children are reportedly neglected or abused in the United States daily (Kendall, 2004). In addition, 1,963 infants are born into poverty every day, and 76 infants die (Kendall, 2004). Across the country, children are both, directly and indirectly, involved in criminal activities – 4,320 children are daily arrested, and approximately 10 children and adolescents die from gun wounds (Kendall, 2004).
As previously mentioned, poverty may be regarded as the main reason for children’s involvement in labor, as well. According to the International Labour Organization, almost 170 million children all over the world are affected by child labor, while 85 million of them do hazardous work regularly (Terre des Hommes, n.d.). In general, the major causes of child exploitation traditionally include poverty, social and governmental acceptance of exploitation, economic shocks, barriers to education and insufficient educational opportunities, and a lack of parental control and guidance.
Social or governmental acceptance and the authorities’ inactivity frequently lead to child exploitation in the form of child domestic work. Across the globe, thousands of small domestic workers hidden within households work hard and frequently over 16 hours per day (Terre des Hommes, n.d.). They frequently do not have any payment and live in abusive situations without an opportunity to contact their families. Moreover, these children do not attend school and have no chance to improve their prospects through education in the future. They frequently become the victims of sexual, physical, and mental violence.
Negative Consequences of Child Labor Exploitation
In the present day, children and adolescents, especially from poor families, frequently deal with “conflicting demands for money and school attendance” (Kendall, 2004, p. 99). Even though a prevalent number of schools require compulsory attendance, students choose employment to support their families and themselves. In general, these laws that relate to child labor allegedly regulate working conditions and the amount of work for children. However, according to recent researches, young employees constantly face inappropriate and hazardous working conditions and exceed the allowable number of working hours per day (Kendall, 2004). For instance, as farm labor is characterized by an insignificant number of restrictions, employed children and adolescents who harvest crops for thirteen hours a day for less than $3 per hour are frequently exposed to substantially harmful pesticides (Kendall, 2004).
Fast-food restaurants exploit adolescents to some extent. As the rates of unemployment among young people, especially African American males, are extremely high, only jobs in the service sector remain available for them (Kendall, 2004). That is why, for higher income, restaurants usually force young employees to work long hours for minimum wage. Due to the inappropriate conditions of available jobs and a lack of other opportunities, a substantive number of adolescents frequently join criminal organizations or gangs. According to social analysts, in the United States, individuals between the ages of 15 and 24 account for half of all property crime arrests (Kendall, 2004). In addition, severe working conditions may cause premature aging, social anxiety, and depression. Moreover, up to 2 million children worldwide are forced into pornography and sexual exploitation every year (Terre des Hommes, n.d.). These activities affect children’s morals and dignity, and these children are extremely vulnerable to serious psychological trauma, infectious diseases, and alcohol or drug addiction in the future. In addition, teenage pregnancies and early motherhood may be defined as another highly negative consequence of child exploitation related to the sex industry.
In general, child exploitation is characterized by the children’s isolation from their family members and relatives by employers to make them invisible and exercise total control over them. Besides multiple psychological problems based on inappropriate and even immoral conditions and a lack of protection, the absence of education substantially limits the professional, personal, and social development of exploited children. In addition, children involved in child labor may be exposed to malnutrition that negatively affects their health.
In countries with severe climate conditions, children are forced to work not only in manufacturing or retailing but in agriculture and mining as well. That is why they are frequently exposed to toxic gases, dust, toxic waste, and other hazardous substances that may cause severe respiratory diseases (Myers & Theytaz-Bergman, 2017). In mines, as children are frequently not provided with protective clothing and equipment, the potential risk of death from rock falls, explosions, and tunnel collapse is immeasurably high.
Prevention of Child Exploitation
A prevalent number of countries apply specific strategies to prevent child exploitation that implies the violation of all basic human rights. At the international level, conventions that frame child labor and provide the basis for legislation, policies, and programs related to child exploitation include the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), the Convention 138 of the International Labour Organization concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment (1973), and the Convention182 concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (1999) (Myers & Theytaz-Bergman, 2017). In the United States, there is a comprehensive set of measures against child exploitation that include the performance of various agencies. First of all, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) leads Child Exploitation Task Forces (CETFs) and collaborates with almost 400 states, federal, local, and tribal law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute enterprises and individuals related to child sexual exploitation (The United States Department of Justice, 2016). In addition, the FBI leads the Innocence Lost National Initiative (ILNI) “to address the problem of children being recruited into prostitution by sex traffickers” and coordinate victim services (The United States Department of Justice, 2016, para. 4).
U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) effectively combat child exploitation as well through its unique missing children recovery operations, investigation, and a fugitive apprehension program, Sex Offender Investigations Branch (SOIB) (The United States Department of Justice, 2016). Other governmental agencies that play a highly significant role in the prevention of child exploitation include the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Bureau of Prisons (BOP), U.S. Attorney’s Offices (USAOs), Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), INTERPOL Washington, and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
References
Kendall, D. (2004). Social problems in a diverse society (3rd ed.). Pearson.
Myers, L., & Theytaz-Bergman, L. (2017). Child labour report [PDF document]. Web.
Terre des Hommes. (n.d.). Child exploitation. Web.
The United States Department of Justice. (2016). The national strategy for child exploitation prevention and interdiction. Web.