The Relationship Between Child Labour and Hyperactivity

1. Introduction

The findings of a study conducted in Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden in 2015 show that children working on the streets are five times more likely to be depressed and four times more likely to be anxious than school children1. This has a direct connotation to psychological health not only in child hood times, but even in the adulthood period also. Child labour in view of their position in the society suffer because of poverty and other developmental needs like nutrition, in adequate health facilities and overall wellbeing. This has a direct impact in the later stages of life. (Brooks-Gunn & Duncan, 1997; Nandy et al, 2005; Seccombe, 2000; Simich, 2006). This leads to neuro development problems and in rare cases and the brain abnormalities. Lower educational aspects also has a direct linkage with dietary micronutrient deficiencies. There are other factors which are linked to it such as protein-energy malnutrition, lack of early sensory stimulation, anemia secondary to parasitosis, and the infectious disease (Bergen, 2008) . This establishes that children the most important assets of a nation. They impact a nation’s economy, army, human work force, education, health infrastructure, culture and civilization. To help them grow as healthy and productive citizens of a country, they require to be groomed in a positive way. They require education and healthy food to be grown into healthy citizen. They require a moral education to be civilised and disciplined as adult and some vocational training to be grown up as positively employed persons. The rights of the children need to be fulfilled by all Social States.

Children below the age of 14 years labour for various reasons. Poverty and illiteracy of parents are cited as the common reasons of child labour, but there are reasons which are beyond poverty. Poor schooling system, unattractive education patterns, poor student teacher ratio, shortage of infrastructure and staff, absorption of the educated lot in employment sector, non-convergence of different social schemes, defocus on have nots, poor wage labour and demand of child labour in labour markets. Strict enforcement of labour laws and migration are the other types of reasons. It is not the poverty of resources rather poverty of polices and poor implementation schemes like free and compulsory education. If the Children are not groomed with these basics attributes of life, they will grow as dwarf, limped, half grown, sick and delinquent adults (A.Daman and B.Kalpna, 2019).