Child Labor and Its Relationship to Family Circumstances

Abstract

Child labor is a serious indicator of societal structure breakdown, not merely an economic or social problem but also a result of a systemic failure in the education and social welfare systems. This phenomenon cannot be overlooked as it reflects a genuine crisis in our social system, where families are forced to send their children to work at an early age, signaling a weakness in protecting children's fundamental rights. Addressing this issue requires more than just studying the phenomenon itself; attention must be directed toward the root causes: poverty, poor education, and a social system that allows such practices to persist. The aim of this research is to shed light on how family circumstances contribute to the emergence of this issue and how well-designed community policies can help reduce its spread.  The researcher adopted the social survey method in the study, applying it to a sample of children aged 10 to 16 years in Libya. The sample consisted of 207 individuals, and a questionnaire was used as the data collection tool. The research concluded several key findings, the most significant of which was that children work between 7 and 9 hours a day. The findings showed that the social factors pushing children to work included parental separation, while economic factors, such as difficult financial conditions, were a primary cause of family separation. Cultural and educational factors were reflected in the negative impact of family separation on the ability of families to provide education for their children. The study also revealed the negative effects of child labor, particularly the exposure to fatigue, stress, and exhaustion.