ASPECTOS DO TRABALHO INFANTIL NO BRASIL: QUEM SÃO E ONDE ESTÃO AS CRIANÇAS E OS ADOLESCENTES EXPLORADOS?

Abstract

Child labor is a persistent and historical problem in Brazilian society, specifically with regard to a group of children and adolescents: it is intertwined, above all, in the reality of the poorest. Unlike other evils that affect childhood indistinctly, such as sexual violence, the issue of child labor is a “privilege” for the most needy, those who are deprived of economic resources and decent conditions for their existence and full development. Abundant literature in Brazil points to the presence and harms of child labor, hindering and negatively impacting thousands of developing lives. Nevertheless, myths continue to circulate in social imaginaries, in the aspect that work for (poor) children is good and dignified, without which the path that remains for them is that of criminality. Since 1990, Brazil has had protective legislation for children, guided by the paradigm of integral protection, the concept that children and adolescents are subjects of rights, holders of fundamental and special human rights, as provided for in the Statute. However, the exploitation of child labor remains a challenge in the country. That said, this study demonstrates the relationship between child labor and children living in poverty. The objective of the investigation is to contribute to the necessary reflection on the human rights violations to which children and adolescents are subjected, together with the possibility of exchanging ideas. Therefore, a bibliographical review was carried out, guided by the hypothetical-deductive method, to answer the following questions: how do Brazilian norms protect girls and boys against child labor? What are the Brazilian regions in which this protection has been shown to be most deficient? What is the social and economic reality of this audience? The investigation showed that the Brazilian Federal Constitution (1988) protects children and adolescents from child labor, by stipulating a minimum age for work and certain conditions to which apprentices cannot be exposed. Furthermore, the Constitution contains in its content the Doctrine of Integral Protection, which ensures the dignity of this public. Furthermore, infra-constitutional norms, especially the Statute of Children and Adolescents, and international, of which Brazil is a signatory, equally highlight that every child and adolescent has the right to receive protection against economic exploitation and against any dangerous work or detrimental to your well-being. However, social reality conflicts with this normative perspective, as evidenced by UNICEF. Through a survey published in 2018, the Fund highlighted that, in Brazil, 6.2% of children and adolescents from 5 to 17 years old are engaged in child labor. The workload is greater among girls, except for paid work, which is greater among boys; moreover, black teenagers work more than whites. The problem is present in all five Brazilian regions, but it is especially concentrated in the North and Northeast regions, as well as in rural areas.

Keywords: Childhood and adolescence – Poverty – Exploitation – Human rights violations.