Children coerced into labour have a variety of jobs that they are often used for which varies from country and region. Some tasks can be things like fetching food or water and carrying packages places. Others work as scavengers searching dumps and streets for items to sell like rags and metal, or containers to recycle. Carpet making is mostly done by children as well, as their small hands and fingers allow them to be able to tie lots of little fast knots and work the looms (D’Adamo, 2003). Children can also work at metal factories, firework factories, brick factories, and sweat shops among other places. Much of this work can also be extremely harmful to children’s health as they are exposed to awful fumes and dyes, harmful wires and sharp objects such as needles and glass. Some of the work even puts children in risk of being severely burned, cut, and infected with germs and diseases, as they are not provided with any ways of protecting themselves. Many children do not even have shoes for their feet. Some masters will even go as far to deprive children of food so that they will stay tiny so that they can get more work from them. These conditions are extremely dangerous to children’s health and even hinder their growth and development (D’Adamo, 2003; Kielburger, 2008).
Sometimes it can seem as though child labour isn’t so bad, or that it does not really happen all over the world, however, it can simply be a misconception that child labour is not prevalent. The media chooses what it wants to show the public so countries are not obligated to openly show these conditions (Bugeja, 2007). There is also an interesting dynamic that goes on as many adults in developing countries do not share the view that child labour is harmful, yet they try to hide the children and the situations as if they know that it is wrong (D’Adamo, 2003; Kielburger, 2008). Still the media is biased and countries will not show these situations so they do not look bad to other nations. This follows the same idea with ratifying the UNCRC with no real intention on implementing it in local communities, but to look favourable in the eyes of other nations (Twum-Danso, 2008). The media can also influence our views of child labour in thinking that it only happens in developing countries but that is not the case as it can happen in North America as well. The media can also produce stereotypes of child labourers and people may become desensitized to this image although it is not always an accurate representation of their reality or the underlying causes of it (Bugeja, 2007).
Children engaged in labour directly goes against many provisions in the UNCRC including article 19, relating to the right to be free from being mistreated or hurt, and article 32, stating that you have the right to be free from work that can harm you or if you do work that you get treated and paid fair. Child labour goes directly against many other provisions as well such as articles 33 through 39, relating to exploitation of children, neglect, deprivation, torture, identity, and liberty (UNCRC, 1989). These are LARGE violations of children’s rights however, provisions are hard to monitor and for some countries it is in their norms that the practices are not wrong, but as mentioned some people try hard to cover up what they are doing, which all ends up denying children their civil freedoms (UNICEF, 2009). These are the variety of provisions where different types of labour go directly against, nevertheless child labour also indirectly goes against almost every provision in the convention such as being able to go to school for an education, or having your thoughts heard by adults (UNCRC, 1989) . No matter where people are in the world we all have the right to the same quality of life, the right to protection from harm and to be free to have an identity (UNICEF, 2009).
