What is child labor? Child labor can be broadly defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential, and their dignity, and that is harmful to their physical and mental development. It involves work that is mentally, physically, socially, or morally dangerous and harmful to children, and interferes with their schooling by depriving them of the opportunity to attend school, obliging them to leave school prematurely, or requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with excessively long and heavy work. This definition aligns with the International Labor Organization's standards and is widely recognized globally.UNICEF defines child labor as involving children aged 5 to 11 who do at least one hour of economic activity or at least 28 hours of domestic work per week, and for children aged 12 to 14, at least 14 hours of economic activity or at least 42 hours of combined economic and domestic work per week. Reasons and effects of child labor on children ...