Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
2005323281286Original ArticleChil-
dren’s perceptions of child labour F.O. Omokhodion
et al
Original Article
Abstract
Background The adverse effects of child labour on the children’s psychological development
continue to raise concerns about this public health problem worldwide. Several views have been
presented by child health authorities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international
agencies. Few studies have focused on the children themselves. This study sought to determine
working children’s perspective of child labour, its benefits and disadvantages and the working
children’s perceptions of themselves, and their aspirations for the future.
Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out among working children in a large market in
Ibadan, south-west Nigeria. Questionnaires were administered to all consenting children.
Results A total of 225 children, 132 females and 93 males, participated in the survey. Their age range
was 8–17 years. A total of 103 respondents (46%) were currently in school while 117 (52%) were out
of school. Five respondents (2%) had never attended school. A total of 104 (46%) thought that
children should not work. However, when asked about the benefits of working, 81 working children
(36%) felt that work provided a source of income for them, 52 (23%) indicated that it was a way of
helping their parents and 39 (17%) thought it was part of their training to be responsible adults. Bad
company, ill health and road traffic accidents were the perceived ill effects of child labour. The
majority of the children interviewed were aspiring towards artisan trades and very few towards
professional or office jobs. A total of 106 (47%) children perceived themselves as less fortunate than
their peers. Fifty-five children (24%) thought that child labour was a sign of deprivation. The
perception that child labour is a sign of deprivation was more prevalent among child workers whose
highest educational attainment was primary school, child workers who had worked for more than
Keywords 6 months and those whose earnings were small.
attitudes, child labour,
perception, street work,
Conclusion We recommend that school education for children should be a priority even when the
working children harsh economic realities in their families force parents to send them to work outside the home.
work from child labour are not clearly defined, is one of the largest food markets in the south-west
many children are now engaged in economic activ- and attracts a variety of traders from this region.
ities which can be labelled as child labour. Children This market was selected for the study because it
working on the streets, out of reach of parents or has a large number of children engaged in eco-
guardians are a prominent feature in large cities in nomic activities. Traders and buyers who require
Brazil, India and the other developing countries assistance to carry their wares to their vehicles
(Ebrahim 1984; Rosa et al. 1992; Martins & engage child porters for a fee. Children also work
Ebrahim 1993; Salem & Abdul Latif 2002). Their within the market as hawkers, selling a variety of
health and social problems remain a public health items such as iced water, foods, cosmetics and
concern. clothing.
In this study, any work done outside the confines For the purpose of this study, a child is a person
of the home was categorized as child labour. under the age of 18 years as defined by UNICEF
Children working outside the home are exposed to (1997). The study was carried out on weekdays in
environmental hazards which may affect their the morning and early afternoon hours from
health and safety. Several studies have documented 9:00 AM to about 2:00 PM. All children below
their health problems (Mehta et al. 1985; Pollock 18 years engaged in some economic activity in the
et al. 1990; Banerjee 1993; Ayaya & Esamai 2001; market at the time of the survey were asked to
Nuwayhid et al. 2005). However, apart from haz- participate in the study after explaining the pur-
ards to their health, several job-related factors may pose of the study. Members of the project team
mould their psychosocial development. Many of positioned themselves at strategic locations within
these children are at a stage in their psychosocial the market and recruited children to participate in
development in which crucial aspects of their iden- the study as they passed by. Child porters were also
tity such as self-esteem, self-confidence and future recruited at the motor park where they wait to be
aspirations are being formed and negative or pos- engaged for work. About 10 children refused to
itive influences help to mould their development at participate in the study. A structured questionnaire
this critical period. Several authorities have advo- which had been pretested among a similar group
cated the promulgation of laws against child labour of children in another market in the city was
because of its untoward effect on the health and administered to all participants. Questionnaires
development of the children. Parents of these chil- were administered by interviews conducted by res-
dren value the financial income provided by their ident doctors who are skilled interviewers. Infor-
children and their views on child labour are mation on demographic characteristics of the
coloured by this factor. However, working children children, reasons for working, attitude to child
have their own perspective of the problem and labour and future plans of these children were
their perceptions may be a useful contribution to obtained. Specifically, respondents were asked
policy on child labour. This study sought to deter- whether they thought children should work or not.
mine working children’s attitude to child labour, Information was sought about the advantages and
their perceptions of themselves and their future disadvantages of child labour. Self-perception was
aspirations. assessed by one question. Children were asked if
they perceived themselves as less, more or as fortu-
nate as their peers. They were also asked if they
Method
thought child labour was an index of deprivation.
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among Data collected were analysed with Epi Info Version
children working in a large market in Ibadan, 6.0 software (Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
south-west Nigeria. Ibadan, the second largest city vention, Atlanta, GA). Chi-squared test was used
in Nigeria, was the capital of the old Western region to test associations between demographic vari-
in the 60s and 70s. Now the capital of Oyo State, it ables, self-perception and attitude to work. Differ-
is a sprawling city of about 5 million inhabitants ences were regarded as statistically significant at the
whose major occupation is trading. Bodija market P < 0.05 level.
© 2006 Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Child: Care, Health & Development, 32, 3, 281–286
Children’s perceptions of child labour 283
© 2006 Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Child: Care, Health & Development, 32, 3, 281–286
284 F.O. Omokhodion et al.
Table 5. Children’s perception about disadvantages of nate; 45 child porters (61.6%) compared with 63
working (n = 225) child hawkers (44.4%) expressing that opinion
Response Female Male Total (P = 0.01). Otherwise, there was no statistically
Miss school 5 10 15 significant difference in responses by socio-
Bad company 12 24 36 demographic variables (P > 0.05). Only 55 (24%)
Poor performance at school 1 1 2
Exposure to RTA 15 16 31
children thought that child work was for those who
Ill health 27 33 60 are deprived. Child porters, children who had
Feel ashamed 2 2 4 attained only primary education, those who were
Don’t know 13 18 31
out of school, those who had done street work for
No response 18 28 46
Total 93 132 225 more than 6 months and those with small daily
P = 0.919.
earnings, indicated that child work was for those
Chi square = 2.60. who are deprived. These differences were statisti-
RTA, road traffic accident. cally significant (P < 0.05).
Responses to the question on services which can
be provided to alleviate their hardship are shown
When asked about the benefits of working, 81 in Table 6. The provision of free, state-sponsored
(36%) children reported that it provided a source full-time education was desired by 112 (50%) of
of income for themselves, 56 (25%) indicated that children while 19 (8%) said the government could
it was a way of helping their parents and 39 (17%) assist them by providing vocational training, and
thought it was part of their training to be respon- 22 (10%) said the government could provide loans
sible adults. Opinions about the disadvantages of to start a trade. Four respondents (2%) thought
working are presented in Table 5. Bad company, ill that their teachers’ pay should be increased, 5 (2%)
health and exposure to road traffic accidents were thought that the government should provide more
frequently mentioned. When asked what they money for parents and only one thought the gen-
would rather do if this job opportunity was not eral improvement in the country’s economy would
available, 103 (46%) indicated that they would go alleviate their problems. More hawkers and in-
to school full-time, 46 (21%) would play at home, school children indicated the need for state-
and 69 (31%) would learn a trade. sponsored education while more porters and
out-of-school children indicated the need for
sponsorship to learn a trade (P < 0.05). There was
Self-perception
no difference in responses between males and
A total of 106 (47%) of these children rated them- females or among age groups.
selves as less fortunate than their peers while 43
(19%) rated themselves as more fortunate than
Discussion
their peers. Sixty-six (29%) children thought they
were just as fortunate as their peers. Child porters The majority of children in this study were working
were more likely to consider themselves less fortu- to earn some money for their parents or to supple-
© 2006 Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Child: Care, Health & Development, 32, 3, 281–286
Children’s perceptions of child labour 285
ment their parent’s financial input to their educa- deprivation was more prevalent among children
tion. It is probable that for those in school, the cost who had attained only primary school education,
of education was one of the factors that created the were out of school, had worked for a long time or
need for them to work. Low per capita income is had small earnings. A greater proportion of child
the main reason for child labour in low-income porters thought that child labour was for those
countries (Ebrahim 1984; Pollock et al. 1990; Mar- who are deprived. Child porters were also more
tins & Ebrahim 1993; Ali et al. 2004). The role of likely to think they were less fortunate.
supplementing the family income has been forced The children in this study were aware of the
on many of these children as indicated by the fact disadvantages of child labour. Ill health was the
that nearly half of them were of the opinion that commonest item mentioned corroborating reports
children should not work. Other studies have of increased ill health among working children
reported a similar observation. A study in Pakistan (Ayaya & Esamai 2001; Nuwayhid et al. 2005).
reported that 79% of working children did not like Road traffic accidents and bad company were also
to work (Tabassum & Baig 2002) and another study mentioned as risks.
in India reported that 94% of working children This study concludes that while it is desirable to
would rather go to school (Mathews et al. 2003). In abolish child labour, the reality is that many fami-
this study when asked what they would rather do lies are forced to send their children to work to
if they were not allowed to work, the most frequent augment the family income. In cases where work
response was that they would attend school full- seems to be the only option for survival, adverse
time or learn a trade. The majority of younger outcomes in child development can be minimized
children (8–12-year-olds) wished to continue with if children are allowed to continue with their edu-
their education rather than learn a trade. The cation and if the period of time engaged in child
response to this question was also related to the labour is minimized.
child’s highest educational attainment in that those
who had attained secondary school education or
Acknowledgement
were in school would rather go to school full-time
while those who had attained only primary school This work was supported by the Wellcome
education or were out of school would rather learn Nigeria Fund. The assistance of resident doctors
a trade. This finding suggests that the disruption of in the department of Community Medicine with
educational progress in working children may lead data collection in the market is gratefully
to low aspirations for educational attainment. This acknowledged.
effect has been observed in other studies (e.g. Rosa
et al. 1992).
Only a quarter of the children in this study felt
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