There is a common consensus globally that child labor is unethical and should be completely eradicated. Currently, there are over 211 million children working globally ( Xu, Cho, & Tayur, 2015) . The unethical behavior is widespread throughout the Caribbean, Africa, Latin America, and Asia. However, there are over 2.5 million children working in developed economies ( Xu, Cho, & Tayur, 2015) . Over 60% of the child workers globally are Asian ( Xu, Cho, & Tayur, 2015) . The UN estimated that child laborers contribute to about 20% of India’s GDP ( Xu, Cho, & Tayur, 2015) . Although the Indian government has banned child labor, over 12.6 million Indian children under age 14 work in hazardous occupations ( Xu, Cho, & Tayur, 2015) . Most of the children work in export-oriented countries such as gemstones, footwear, garments, stone quarries, glass manufacturing, and leather tanning ( Xu, Cho, & Tayur, 2015) . Most research on the topic focuses on the adverse impact of child labor but few studies focus on the factors attributing to child labor. The fight against child labor would be more effective if the world focused on eradicating factors that cause child labor. The research paper will provide a critical analysis of child labor.
Causes of Child Labor
Child labor exists globally because the child's survival and their poor families depend on working. Moreover, many adults take advantage of vulnerable children to make a profit. Moreover, the weaknesses and inadequacies in national education systems make it difficult for families and children to know their civil and human rights. Furthermore, in some regions, child labor is ingrained in social and cultural attitudes, and in their traditions ( Hindman, H. D., & Hindman, H., 2014) . Notably, poverty is the main single force that drives children to child labor. Income from children’s work is perceived as essential for their own survival and that of their households. There are popular traditions, local customs, and perceptions that play a significant role in child labor such as:
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The perception that working is essential for skill development and character building among children.
The culture that children should emulate their guardians in a specific trade and should practice the profession from an early age.
Traditions and culture that forces poor families to indebt themselves because of a religious and social event and then depending on their children's labor to pay off their family's debt ( Xu, Cho, & Tayur, 2015) . The situation is known as bonded labor and it was recognized as one of the worst existence of child labor but the unethical behavior is quite common because poor families are vulnerable to social and religious pressure.
In some cultures, there is a belief that the girl child has a lesser need for education than boys. Ultimately, the girls are taken out of school and forced into domestic employment, working at home, or sex work ( Xu, Cho, & Tayur, 2015) .
There is a misconception that only children from large families indulge in child labor because their caregiver/parent’s income is inadequate to support their families.
The quality and availability of education and schooling affect the prevalence of child labor in various ways such as:
Many communities have inadequate school facilities.
Even if such communities have adequate school facilities, they do not perceive education as a proper alternative to work ( Xu, Cho, & Tayur, 2015) . Also, education may be unaffordable. Even if the fee is minimal or ‘free,’ they believe there is an opportunity cost when earning income is foregone to keep children in school instead of working.
In some regions, the education is often of poor quality that children and parents perceive the education system to be irrelevant to the local conditions and needs ( Xu, Cho, & Tayur, 2015) . Hence, it is not surprising that the local communities find no benefits of attending school.
Also, some cultures believe that girls would be better prepared for life when they are sent to work instead of investing in their education.
Due to the factors discussed above, many children are forced into the unskilled labor industry. In most situations, they are illiterate and may remain in that condition in their entire lives because they lack basic education skills that would have allowed them to acquire additional skills and have a decent adult life while working ( Xu, Cho, & Tayur, 2015) .
Child Labor in Developed Countries and Major Cities
According to research, the main cause of increasing child labor in developed countries is economic deprivation and unhealthy family life. Some families may be strained by the increasing needs of children and they may fail to offer adequate nutrition. Due to inadequate nutrition, children opt to search for their own sources of money and income. In morally bankrupt, socially disadvantaged, or alcoholic families, basic needs challenges are frequently accompanied relationship breakdown ( Hindman, H. D., & Hindman, H., 2014) . Due to all the mentioned factors, the children are forced into the streets permanently or temporarily, and child labor regardless of the fact that they may be too young to make some independent decisions. Family dysfunction and economic hardships can be pointed as the main causes of child labor in developed countries.
Ethical Concerns Regarding Child Labor
There are situations when children were not forced to work and are adequately paid. The main ethical concern is whether there are particular situations where child labor is practiced ethically. There are countries that have been destroyed by war such as Yemen, Somali, South Sudan, and Syria. In some cases, children have been left without guardians ( Hindman, H. D., & Hindman, H., 2014) . In most cases, the eldest child often takes up the role of a guardian and takes care of the other siblings. In such a case, without child labor, the victims of war may end up suffering due to poverty and inadequate basic needs. Notably, according to history, child labor was an acceptable practice among many western nations in the 19 th century but as the countries developed and experienced improved standards of living, children’s income was no longer essential for the survival of their families ( Hindman, H. D., & Hindman, H., 2014) . Most developing countries could be experiencing the same problems that most western nations were experiencing in the 19 th century.
Regardless of the situation, child labor is still unethical because it robs a child the opportunity of having a well-paying job in adulthood and condemns most children into the unskilled labor market for the rest of their lives. during the industrial revolution in Europe and the USA, child labor was common. The unethical practice existed in the USA until the late 1930s ( Hindman, H. D., & Hindman, H., 2014) . during the industrial revolution, many factory owners preferred child laborers because they were less likely to strike, were more manageable, and cheaper than adults ( Hindman, H. D., & Hindman, H., 2014) . Children as young as 7 years could haul heavy loads or tend machines ( Hindman, H. D., & Hindman, H., 2014) .
Child labor is no doubt an adverse, alarming, and serious challenge globally, and although it appears to be declining, the progress is occurring at an unequal and slow pace. The International Labor Organizations (ILO) describes child labor as a vice that robs children of their opportunity to be children, their dignity, their potential, and has a negative impact on their mental and physical development ( Xu, Cho, & Tayur, 2015) . The ILO insists that child labor mainly refers to all forms of labor that are morally, mentally, socially, and physically harmful and dangerous to children ( Xu, Cho, & Tayur, 2015) . Furthermore, it affects their schooling by requiring them to attend school while having long and heavy work, depriving them of a chance of attending school, or forcing them to drop out or leave school prematurely ( Xu, Cho, & Tayur, 2015) .
Child labor exists in different forms and varies from country to country, and within the industries themselves. In most cases child labor entail all forms of slavery or similar to slavery practices such as compulsory or forced labor, child trafficking, serfdom, debt bondage, recruitment of children for purposes of armed conflict, or any form of illicit activities involving children such as pornography, prostitution, or drug trafficking ( Hindman, H. D., & Hindman, H., 2014) . All in all, it involves work that by its circumstances and nature of the implementation, is highly likely to have adverse effects on the morals, health, and safety of children.
Ethics in Social Science Research
Social science research has focus on ethical issues since time immemorial. Social science evaluates complex issues involving political, cultural, economic, and legal phenomena such as child labor. The complexity insists that social science must focus and concentrate on moral integrity to ensure that all its research procedures and results are valid and trustworthy. Ethical issues are a critical component of social sciences and research. Moreover, all research that involves human subjects such as child labor must ensure the following: subjects must be treated respectfully, equally, no harm should occur, harms must be minimized, and the benefits must be maximized ( Hindman, H. D., & Hindman, H., 2014) .
Prevalence of Child Labor
The three economic activities that have a high rate of child labor include services, agriculture, and industry ( Hindman, 2016) . The services sector comprises of social personal services, wholesale and retail services, business services, hotels and restaurants, real estate, transport, communications, and services. Agricultural sector includes activities such as fishing, farming, forestry, and hunting. The industry sector comprises of activities in public utilities such as water electricity and gas, mining, construction, quarrying, and manufacturing. Child labor continues to be a serious concern globally because over there are over 211 million child laborers globally ( Hindman, 2016) . The situation is even worse because out of the 211 million child laborers, over 73 million are below 10 years ( Hindman, 2016) . It is not surprising that 96% of all child laborers are in developing countries in South America, Africa, and Asia ( Hindman, 2016) . Over 61% of the child laborers are in Asia, 7% in Latin America, and 32% in Africa ( Hindman, 2016) . Additionally, over 120 million children are employed in long, heavy, and hazardous work while about 20 million children work in factories that make hand-rolled cigarettes, garments, matches, carpets, and toys ( Hindman, 2016) .
Furthermore, about 8.5 million children are trapped in adverse economic activities such as pornography, slavery, prostitution, trafficking, debt bondage, and other illegal activities ( Hindman, 2016) . Child laborers working in farms produce products such as rubber, cocoa, cotton, coffee, and other crops. Over the past ten years, the number of children involved in armed conflict has increased to about 300000 ( Hindman, 2016) . In some countries such as the Philippines where child labor is common, the child labors appear older than their years and are stunted in height. Ultimately, child labor is an occurrence that takes advantage of a child’s innocence. In as much as the social problem is pervasive, it is not hopeless, and it can be eradicated.
Bringing real change and building consensus regarding child labor remains a major challenge globally, nationally, and in communities and families where child labor is accepted or where it exists. Although common sense dictates that kids should be given a chance to have a sound education while their parents should have a decent job, most of the proposed legislation and solutions appear to be ineffective in fighting the unethical practice ( Hindman, H. D., & Hindman, H., 2014) . Child labor is not only an economic issue but also an ethical issue in most countries. The efforts against child labor is a battle that aims to expand the frontiers and boundaries of human freedom and dignity.
Research Methods
Qualitative methodology refers to a detailed description of observed behaviors, situations, interactions, even, and people about how they experience and make meaning of the world or their environment. On the other hand, quantitative methods are distinguished by their emphasis on statistical analysis, numbers, experimental design, and measurement ( Hindman, H. D., & Hindman, H., 2014) . The secondary sources used in the research paper used a combination of both quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze data regarding child labor as discussed earlier. Quantitative methods allowed the researchers to observe emotional responses and immediate reaction to the problem including body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice of the victims of child trafficking. Also, quantitative techniques allowed the researchers to collect and analyze data from a large sample.
Limitations of Data Analysis in the Case Study
The research paper mainly focused on secondary sources of information. Secondary sources of information may have various disadvantages such as biasness and prejudice. Furthermore, the researchers could not access the organizations and people where most of the information regarding the topic was collected.
Conclusion
The research paper has provided a critical analysis of child labor. Currently, there are over 211 million children working globally. Eradicating child labor is one of the main objectives of the ILO and United Nations among many other child welfare groups globally. Furthermore, countries should come up with strict penalties for employers and parents taking part in the child labor circle. Also, countries should set up stable economic and security policies that ensure workers have adequate income to cater for their families such that they do not sacrifice their children’s innocence and education for child labor ( Hindman, 2016) . As mentioned in the research paper, efforts against child labor is a battle that aims to expand the frontiers and boundaries of human freedom and dignity. Britain was successful in setting up laws that improved working conditions and reducing child labor in the 19 th century ( Hindman, 2016) . Other European countries formed similar laws and were successful in reducing child labor significantly. In conclusion, child labor can be eradicated through building consensus and unity against the unethical practice.
References
Hindman, H. D. (2016). Child labor: an American history . Routledge.
Hindman, H. D., & Hindman, H. (2014). The world of child labor: An historical and regional survey . Routledge.
Xu, Y., Cho, S. H., & Tayur, S. (2015). Combating child labor: Incentives and information transparency in global supply chains. Available at SSRN .
