Persuasive Essay On Child Labor

Presently, there are 168 million child laborers in the world (Child Labor). Childhood is a priceless time meant to be treasured and valued by memories and positive experiences. Every child deserves to live with love and security, but there is a worldwide crisis of children being denied the basic fundamentals of life. Although it is no longer a situation in America, hundreds of countries face the reality of underage individuals being forced to work. The debate surrounding this topic revolves around the morality of families in less developed countries using their kids to help furnish their family income. Child labor is unacceptable at all times and should be abolished because it puts children at risk for safety and health concerns, removes children’s

A child’s safety is crucial when growing up, but industries do not take that into account. The United States Department of Labor defines child labor as this: “Work that interferes with the physical and mental development of children,” (Child Labor). Most child laborers are located in Asia and the Pacific, with an estimate at 53 percent. Major industries across the globe have kids employed. Industries include agriculture, manufacturing, and mining. Kids in these businesses work in threatening atmospheres that cause injuries and deaths (Childhood Lost). As stated by the University of Iowa: “Each year, as many as 2.7 million healthy years of life are lost due to child labor, especially in agriculture,” (About Child Labor). This shows the sheer tragedy of what occurs when employers rely on adolescents to complete adult

Laws for child labor have been proposed in the U.S. since 1832, but they were not passed until over a hundred years later (About Child Labor). When industries began to rise in America after the Civil War, families from the countryside moved to larger cities with the hope of finding better work. (Childhood Lost). Unfortunately, the jobs offered to them had pitiful salaries, compelling parents to make the difficult decision of putting their kids to work. According to Eastern Illinois University, “Those working included children as young as three,” (Childhood Lost). It is unthinkable to imagine three-year-olds working, but it reveals a powerful glimpse into U.S. history many would not like to venture