Child Labour Practices and Emotional Aspects on Children in Jinja District

ABSTRACT 

Child labor is often referred to as work that is done by children which restricts or damages their physical, emotional, intellectual, social or spiritual growth. The study was guided by the theory of emotional which is also known as the psych-evolutionary and it is one of the most influential classification approaches for general emotional responses. In addition, three objectives guided the study, which were: to examine the factors influencing child labor in Jinja district, to analyze the emotional challenges affecting children in Jinja district, and to examine the impact of child labor on the wellbeing of children in Jinja district. The research employed the descriptive survey design and qualitative research approach, with a sample size of 50 respondents. Data analysis was done through assessing the information collected from the field. The study found that there were five major factors influencing child labor in Jinja District which included: traditional customs, inadequate schools and quality of education, poverty, high demand for cheap labor, high demand for unskilled labor and inefficient implementation of anti-child labor policies. The study concluded that child labor is still a big threat to the development of Jinja district, being influenced largely by traditional customs, inadequate schools and quality education, poverty, high demand of cheap labor. Lastly the impact of child labor on the wellbeing of children in Jinja district has more negative consequences than positive as most of the children lack guarantee for good health and safety. Finally this study recommended that the government of Uganda through the local governments and other stakeholders should embark on community sensitization to foster knowledge on the dangers of child labor and the state should sensitize the public on the importance of counseling services to foster the upbringing of traumatized children by their parents/caregivers. The government should also permit children to officially work but under strict supervision of the employers and in healthy environment working with safety guards.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION..............................................................................................................................ii

APPROVAL....................................................................................................................................iii

DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................................v

ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................................vi

LIST OF FIGURES........................................................................................................................vii

LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................viii

LIST OF ACRONYMS/ ABBREVIATION...................................................................................ix

CHAPTER ONE.............................................................................................................................. 1

1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1

1.1. Background of the Study.......................................................................................................... 1

1.1.1 Historical perspective ............................................................................................................. 1

1.1.2 Theoretical framework ........................................................................................................... 2

1.1.3 Conceptual Perspective .......................................................................................................... 2

1.1.4 Contextual perspective ........................................................................................................... 3

1.2 Purpose of the study .....................................................................

1.3 Problem statement ..................................................................................................................... 4

1.4 Research Objectives .................................................................................................................. 5

1.4.1 Research Questions ................................................................................................................ 5

1.5 Scope ......................................................................................................................................... 5

1.5.1. Content scope ........................................................................................................................ 5

1.5.2 Geographical scope ................................................................................................................ 5

1.5.3 Time scope ............................................................................................................................. 6

1.6. Significance of the study .......................................................................................................... 6

1.7 Definition of key terms.............................................................................................................. 6

CHAPTER TWO............................................................................................................................. 8

LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................ 8

2.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 8

2.1 Theoretical review..................................................................................................................... 8

2.2 Conceptual Framework ........................................................................................................... 11

2.3 Review of related Studies........................................................................................................ 12

2.3.1 Major factors that influence child labor ............................................................................... 12

2.3.1.1 Poverty coupled with high dependence ratio of adults on children................................... 12

2.3.1.2 Traditional cultural believes.............................................................................................. 13

2.3.1.3 Increased rural urban migration......................................................................................... 13

2.3.1.4 Poor working conditions.................................................................................................... 14

2.3.1.5 High demand for cheap unskilled labor force ................................................................... 14

2.4 Emotional aspects and impacts of child labor. ........................................................................ 14

2.4.1 Developing emotional skills in children............................................................................... 15

2.4.2 The exclusivity of every child .............................................................................................. 15

2.4.3 Assisting children’s effective emotional development and growth...................................... 16

2.4.4 Fostering children’s feelings and emotions.......................................................................... 16

2.4.5 Helping children understand their emotions......................................................................... 17

2.4.6 Setting limits on immoral conduct of children ..................................................................... 17

2.4.7 Being a moral role model ..................................................................................................... 17

2.5 Challenges faced by child laborers.......................................................................................... 18

2.5.1 Health impacts...................................................................................................................... 18

2.5.2 Social and economic consequences...................................................................................... 18

2.6 Approaches to combatting child labor..................................................................................... 19

2.6.1 Creating awareness............................................................................................................... 19

2.6.2 Corporate Engagement ......................................................................................................... 20

2.6.3 Quality Education................................................................................................................. 20

2.6.4 Establishing child labor monitoring systems........................................................................ 21

2.6.5 Adopting a holistic approach................................................................................................ 23

2.7 International Legal Instruments on Child Labor ..................................................................... 23

2.7.1 Vienna Declaration and Program of Action ......................................................................... 23

2.7.2 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) 1989 ............................. 24

2.7.3 Adoption of the worst forms of Child Labor No. 182 in 1999 ............................................. 24

2.8 Emotional signs and symptoms portrayed by child labor victims........................................... 26

2.8.1 Administration of psychological support to child labor traumatized children ..................... 27

2.8.2 Challenges of administering psychological support to traumatized children ....................... 28

2.9 Related studies......................................................................................................................... 30

2.10 Gap in the literature ............................................................................................................... 32

CHAPTER THREE....................................................................................................................... 33

METHODOLOGY........................................................................................................................ 33

3.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 33

3.1 Research Design ...................................................................................................................... 33

3.2 Study Population ..................................................................................................................... 33

3.3 Sample size.............................................................................................................................. 34

3.4 Sampling techniques................................................................................................................ 34

3.4.1 Purposive sampling .............................................................................................................. 35

3.4.2 Simple random sampling...................................................................................................... 35

3.5 Data sources ............................................................................................................................ 35

3.5.1 Primary sources of data ........................................................................................................ 35

3.5.2 Secondary Data..................................................................................................................... 36

3.6 Data collection methods/ instruments...................................................................................... 36

3.6.1 Focus Group Discussion....................................................................................................... 36

3.6.2 Interview............................................................................................................................... 36

3.7 Data collection procedures...................................................................................................... 37

3.8 Data analysis............................................................................................................................ 37

3.9 Ethical considerations.............................................................................................................. 38

CHAPTER FOUR......................................................................................................................... 38

DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION........................................... 38

4.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 38

4.1 Response Rate ......................................................................................................................... 38

4.2 Demographic characteristics of respondents........................................................................... 39

4.3.1 Major factors influencing child labor in Jinja ...................................................................... 42

4.3.2 Emotional challenges affecting children in Jinja District..................................................... 47

4.3.3 The impacts of child labor on the wellbeing of children in Jinja District ............................ 53

CHAPTER FIVE........................................................................................................................... 55

DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS....................... 55

5.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 55

5.1 Discussion of the findings....................................................................................................... 55

5.1.1 Major factors influencing child labor in Jinja ...................................................................... 55

5.1.2 Emotional challenges affecting children in Jinja District..................................................... 58

5.1.3 The impacts of child labor on the wellbeing of children in Jinja District ............................ 61

5.2 Conclusion............................................................................................................................... 63

5.3 Recommendations................................................................................................................... 64

5.3.1 Major factors influencing child labor in Jinja ............................................................... 64

5.3.2 Emotional challenges affecting children in Jinja District..................................................... 65

5.3.3 The impacts of child labor on the wellbeing of children in Jinja District ............................ 65

5.4 Contribution to knowledge ...................................................................................................... 66

5.5 Areas for further studies.......................................................................................................... 66

REFERENCES.............................................................................................................................. 67

APPENDIX ................................................................................................................................... 70

APPENDIX: INTERVIEW AND FDG QUESTIONS FOR POLICE OFFICERS...................... 70

APPENDIX II: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR PSYCHOLOGISTS ...................................... 71