Child Slavery By: Hayden Veber
Today, there are many issues regarding Civil Rights throughout the world. Civil Rights is defined as, “a citizens personal liberties guaranteed by law.” However, throughout the world today, many people are being denied this. One major Civil Rights issue today is child slavery. Children are being denied their right to learn, spend time with friends, and ultimately their childhood. Their personal liberties are virtually non existent. As a boy helplessly stated, “We were being forced to go onto a battlefield and fight.” (Newsela Article) In this day and age, there is an extremely high demand for cheap labor. “Many children are put to work on cocoa farms between the ages 12-16.” (Chocolate Industry) Owners do not want to have to deal with arguments about a lack of payment, so they make kids do strenuous labor intended for adults. Children are abducted from their homes, and are forced to work so they do not get punished in a brutal manner. Sadly, child slavery is growing and the world. We as individuals can speak up if wise information is present, we can also inform people how truly horrific this issue in society is.
As many people may believe that child slavery is very similar to the issues of Reconstruction and the Civil Rights movement, others may consider they are quite the contrary. According to an anti human slavery website, “1/4 of the slaves currently in the U.S. are children.” (antislavery.com) The quote above acknowledges that less children are working than adults. We as people can come to the conclusion that people are taking action to insure that child slavery will not occur, and insisting it will be on a steady decline. Also, back in the Reconstruction time period, different forms of child labor were common such as tenant farming as well as sharecropping. Now, only 25% of slaves are children working in the U.S. Secondly, according to an anti slavery website, “Enslavement of Children is 100% illegal.” (end slavery now.org) This quote presented insists that child slavery is prohibited, and if you are caught doing it you will face charges. This policy if having child slavery be illegal heavily contrast to how people viewed slavery, or low paid labor back then. In the times post Civil War, making blacks or other minority groups do labor for a low pay was very common. Now we view it as unconstitutional. In conclusion, child slavery is very different when compared to the issues of Reconstruction and Civil Rights.
Overall, child slavery is making lives miserable for many children around the globe. It is time that people take a stand to do something about it. A group called Anti-Slavery International is attempting to put an end to child labor. They are currently researching and acting out ways communities can be protected from child slavery. They are also helping victims of child slavery with the physiological and legal support they may need. The Florida Abolitionist are another group fighting against child slavery. As a group, they are trying to oppose child trafficking and labor in the state of Florida. Finally, the biggest thing ordinary citizens can do to get involved is to spread the word about child slavery, and how it truly can ruin a child’s life forever.