NCJ Number
224736
Journal
Journal of Emotional Abuse Volume: 8 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2008 Pages: 325-333
Date Published
September 2008
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This comparative study assessed the emotional effects and consequences of work on Guatemalan children where the only means of survival for some families was with children’s economic input.
Abstract
The findings of this study are important because they showed that, in addition to the detrimental effects of child labor on the health of the children and on their academic achievement, there might also be harmful emotional effects. The findings showed that young age working children showed signs of having lower general levels of self-esteem. Also, working children reported marginally higher overall depression and significantly more negative self-esteem than did nonworking children. Although previous research has addressed the issue of working children in developing countries, very few have examined this problem from the point of view of the emotional impact of work on children, especially in a country with the characteristics of Guatemala. Child labor is the highest in Central America and constitutes a major social problem for the country. The main purpose of this study was to assess the self-esteem and level of depression of working children in Guatemala. It addresses a critical economic and social problem in a country where child labor is indispensable for the survival of families in a large portion of the population. The study compared 43 Guatemalan children who were working and going to school with another 43 socioeconomically similar children who were in school but not enrolled in the labor force. The children were assessed using the Coopersmith Self-esteem Inventory, the Child Depression Inventory, and several open-ended questions during a face-to-face interview. Tables and references