"Democracy at Work!." Union Up for America. Copyright 2010 unionup.com. Web. 25 February 2013.
Imagine an innocent child, no older than twelve, slaving away in an Indonesian fish factory for twelve hours. They suffer from stings of jellyfish and the bites of sea snakes with nothing to relieve the pain but aspirin and bandages. After working every day for one month, they will only get paid a little over nine dollars, and then the horrible cycle will begin once more (The Story of Child Labor).
Amongst the many social issues that plague our world today, child labor is both one of the most prevalent and one of the most heinous. The International Labor Organization defines child labor as “...a work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential, and their dignity, and that is harmful to them physically and mentally” (migranthealth.org). Child labor has been deeply ingrained in our past and still threatens us today, despite many precautions taken against it. Although proclaimed illicit in all civilized nations, third world countries are still using this horrible form of slavery that threatens us all. Even here in the US we suffer due to the law breakers who are abusing and exploiting our most helpless neighbors.
Child labor is indisputably a terrible issue in our world because of the harm it causes to children and their future and how it negatively impacts our world and everyone in it. In order to end this issue before it consumes us, we must educate ourselves on the effects it has on the individual, on our society, and the best methods to help make a difference.