Though restrictions on child labor exist in most nations, many children do work. This
vulnerable state leaves them prone to exploitation. The International Labour Office
reports that children work the longest hours and are the worst paid of all laborers
(Bequele and Boyden 1988). They endure work conditions which include health hazards
and potential abuse. Employers capitalize on the docility of the children recognizing that
these laborers cannot legally form unions to change their conditions. Such manipulation
stifles the development of youths. Their working conditions do not provide the
stimulation for proper physical and mental development. Finally, these children are
deprived of the simple joys of childhood, relegated instead to a life of drudgery.
However, there are problems with the obvious solution of abolishing child labor. First,
there is no international agreement defining child labor. Countries not only have different
minimum age work restrictions, but also have varying regulations based on the type of
labor. This makes the limits of child labor very ambiguous. Most would agree that a six
year old is too young to work, but whether the same can be said about a twelve year old is
debatable. Until there is global agreement which can isolate cases of child labor, it will be
very hard to abolish. There is also the view that work can help a child in terms of
socialization, in building self-esteem and for training (Collins 1983). The problem is,
then, not child labor itself, but the conditions under which it operates