What Are the Causes and Effects of Child Labor?

The number one cause of child labor is poverty.¹ Families who are always on the brink of starvation are forced to make decisions about their children’s futures that most of us would never dream of making. It is often a domino effect that starts with the struggle to survive. Even if the children are able to start school, parents choose to remove them because of the extra expenses. An idle pair of hands is then seen as a possible way to finally get a little ahead. And that’s when the child is sent to work or, worse, sold into work.

This begins a cycle that is extremely difficult to break. If the child doesn’t have a healthy childhood with school and socialization, they will likely remain illiterate and not have the opportunity to get a job that could lift them out of the poverty cycle. And so it goes for their children, too.

These are the lasting effects of child labor: illiteracy, improper socialization, depression, injury and possible labor bondage due to debt.² Each of these contribute to the cycle of poverty that keeps children in labor situations despite worldwide advocacy.

The International Labor Organization estimates that 160 million children are in some form of labor around the world. The agricultural sector makes up a large percentage of that, with sub-Saharan Africa leading in total children in labor.³

There is hope for this travesty. Many organizations and governments are working to bring child labor to an end through advocacy and legislation. Grounds are being made.