Any business person could tell you that the cheaper something is to make, the bigger profit one can get. This leads some companies to exploit children. Children are at that stage in life where they are suppose to be protected. They are suppose to be told what to do and are not capable of doing too much thinking for themselves. They are the hapless victims of big business and greed.
Since children are at such a tender stage in their development they are very easy to control and they are also very helpless. Because of this helplessness, it is easy to extract work from them cheaply. This is the same reason that slave labor persisted in American history. In fact, Child Labor is a form of slave labor. Any form of slave labor is usually the cheapest way to produce something because little or nothing has to be payed to the workers.
The fact that children are easily controled is just one reason why Child Labor occurs. Most cases of Child Labor occur in third world countries. Most of these countries have large numbers of children and fewer numbers of adults. Because of this disparity, children make up most of the labor force. There is such a high demand for workers and such a low supply of jobs that kids are pulled into the market. Because most people in third world countries are poor there is a lot of demand for work. This high demand for workers also pulls the wages that companies must pay down. Children are even cheaper because they are so easily controled.
Governments are unwilling or unable to stop Child Labor practices because Child labor can sometimes be a large part of that country's economy, especially in third world countries. In fact, Child Labor is more likely to happen in third world countries than other countries, because these countries are more likely to turn a blind eye to the practice. If the country tries to cut down on the practice, then the company may move to another country. This could bring economic disaster to the country and make it harder for the country to rise in the global economy. This threat allows Child Labor to persists.
Parents that would normally stick up for their children are usually unable to do so. Either the parents are in their own deep state of poverty or they are unaware that their child is in need of help. Sometimes, parents feel that the only way to survive is to sell their child to a company. They may feel that the company will give the child a better life then they are able. This does not make it okay, but there is sometimes no other option for the parent. Other times, children are kidnapped off of the streets and their parents never know where they have gone. Neither of these problems are dealt with, because the governments are usually to afraid to do anything.
Labor that is cheap is an easy way to make money, but it is not always best for the country as a whole. Child Labor is a contributing factor to why third world countries stay third world countries. Child Labor is usually accompanied by high child death rates, low life expectancy, low iligitability rates and poverty. None of these things contribute to an economically healthy society.
For most countries children are seen as the future. With this in mind, Child Labor does nothing but destroy the future. By keeping children out of school the country will never be able to develep it's full potential. The high rate of mortality in children coupled with the low life expectancy rate, virtually insures that the population will eventually decrease. Because these conditions will continue, unless something is done, Child Labor will also continue and with it the future of many countries will continue to decline.