Walk‐through surveys for child labor

Abstract

Child labor is increasing in both developing and developed countries. Walk-through surveys were used to identify children, aged 8-15 years, working in six sites in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the largest cities in Israel. Of the 45 children who were interviewed, 20 were Jewish Israeli born, 19 were recent Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union, and six were Arabs from Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. The majority of children were either too young for employment, according to the Israeli Child Labor Laws, and/or receiving less than the legal minimum wage. Many were performing physical labor that might be expected to interfere with normal growth and development. Many of the children had visible signs of impaired physical health. Some were subjected to physical and/or verbal abuse. Walk-through surveys are recommended as a tool for routine use for surveillance of hazardous working conditions, case-finding, and evaluating the efficacy of preventive measures. The World Health Organization recommendations are emphasized to eliminate hazardous working conditions and to provide on-the-job health and social services to working children.