Child labor

Not all tasks performed by children are classified as child labor that must be eliminated; if they do not threaten their health and personal development or interfere with their schooling, they are considered positive. The tasks they perform outside of school hours, during vacations or in a family business, to earn pocket money, are beneficial for the development of the children and the well-being of the family, since they provide them with experience and help them prepare for be productive members of society in adulthood.

The term child labor is usually defined as any work that deprives children of their childhood, potential and dignity, as it is detrimental to their physical and psychological development. These are a danger for children, since they harm their physical, mental and moral well-being, especially if they interfere with their schooling by depriving them of the possibility of attending classes, forcing them to leave school prematurely or requiring them to combine the study with heavy work.

Whether or not to classify a specific activity as “child labor” will depend on the age of the child, the type of work in question, the number of hours dedicated to it, the conditions in which it is carried out, and the objectives pursued by each country.