Published Paper Details:

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: Child labour is a global concern and �harsh reality� of the world. Poverty is an account of this �harsh reality�. Studies from an Indian constituency states that India has the highest proportion of child labourers in the current scenario and according to the studies nearly 7 percent of the child labour are responsible for a significant amount of the Gross Domestic Product. Objective: To study the psychological effects on child labour in the slum areas of Delhi. METHODS: A community based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 500 child labourers in and around slum areas of Delhi. Data regarding demographic and psychological effects were recorded by using a semi-structured questionnaire. A descriptive analysis was carried out. RESULTS: The mean age of the children is 10.3 years with a range of (7-14 years). Among the 500 child labour, 41% (206) were girls and 59% (294) were boys and there were 33% (168) children who are working past one year, 31% (158) last three years, 18% (90) since 3-5 years and 17% (84) children for more than 5 years. Social issues among child labour include, 40% of the child fight a lot, 24% of the child gets extremely angry, 48% child was accused of lying and cheating, and 47% has stealing habits. CONCLUSION: In India, child labour is an important public health concern and Child labour policies and education policies have to be formulated and implement interventions that will reduce the number of child labourers.