O que conhecemos sobre o trabalho infantil?

Abstract

O interesse em pesquisas e análises econômicas sobre o trabalho infantil ressurge por volta de 1995, principalmente graças à crescente ênfase na redução da pobreza e na acumulação de capital humano para se obter desenvolvimento, que faz com que o trabalho de crianças seja visto como um impedimento ao progresso econômico. As análises empíricas visando obter as causas, conseqüências e soluções para o trabalho infantil estão agora sendo facilitadas pelo aumento da disponibilidade de microdados e pelas facilidades computacionais disponíveis. A pobreza, a escolaridade dos pais, o tamanho e a estrutura da família, o sexo do chefe, idade em que os pais começaram a trabalhar e o local de residência são os determinantes mais analisados e dos mais importantes para explicar a alocação do tempo da criança para o trabalho. As principais conseqüências socioeconômicas do trabalho de crianças e de adolescentes são sobre a educação, o salário e a saúde dos indivíduos. Este estudo tem como objetivo apresentar, de forma resumida, o que se conhece na literatura econômica sobre trabalho infantil e indicar direções para futuros estudos.

Child labour implications for adults: experiences and childhood

“…In his discourse, Marcos brings the meaning that education contributes to economic ascension. For him, the tiredness of work and lack of access conditions to education are factors that culminated in school dropout, as confirmed by the findings of Kassouf (2007 From the participants' discourses it is also revealed that child labour hindered childhood enjoyment. For Helena's discourse flow, the early labour was negative because it brought implications like loss of childhood, and that represented for her losing a phase of her life, something that she was deprived of, stolen, and which has repercussions that come upon a reflection on the life itself: the consciousness emerging from such reflection is that her history resembles a nightmare, something to be denied and forgotten.…”

“…Although in Brazil the school-grade/age distortion is generalized, overall, children and adolescents labourers are found to present higher distortion rates than those that do not work (Haas, 2003; Kassouf, 2004Kassouf, , 2007Schwartzman, 2004). Studies based on the National System for Assessing Basic Education (SAEB) concluded that child labour in Brazil -specially that performed for long periods and outside the home -is responsible for a decreased school performance by up to 20% in relation to nonworker students (Kassouf, 2007).…”

“…Studies based on the National System for Assessing Basic Education (SAEB) concluded that child labour in Brazil -specially that performed for long periods and outside the home -is responsible for a decreased school performance by up to 20% in relation to nonworker students (Kassouf, 2007). Cavalieri (2000), in a comparative study between a group of children who laboured and a group of non-labouring ones,…”

“…Other studies have shown that the fatigue resulting from labour activities is presented as an element that hinders the schooling process, or even makes it unviable (Kassouf, 2007;Tavares, 2002). The exhaustive and sometimes long-term labouring journeys provoke distress in children and adolescents labourers, thus raising difficulties on going to school, following school activities, getting concentrated and, consequently, learning (Tavares, 2002).…”

“…Accordingly, the early labour is a factor that brings implications for those who execute it, and relates to other long-lasting repercussions such as lack of qualification to the work and perpetuation of poverty (Emerson & Souza, 2002;Kassouf, 2007;Tabatabai, 2007). Sampaio and Ruiz (1996) 1 identified damages of child labour upon psyche as regards the state of animus, where the lack of succession between positive and negative experiences would provoke the creation of a pessimist and uncritical adult.…”