Child labour and the Western response: What is a responsible approach to child labour in the developing world?

In a globalized world, competition in production has enabled the global multi-nationals to take advantage of cheap labour and lower working standards in producing cheap commodities for the Western market. Attempts by workers competing for jobs in these markets have often forced highly exploitative conditions upon the workers, and at the bottom of the huge pool of available labour are children, who are often chosen deliberately over adults because they can be exploited more ruthlessness than the latter. What are the real circumstances confronting child workers and what is the effect of interference by those in the west genuinely trying to make conditions better for working children? This discussion examines the dangers and offers an approach that will assist in coming to grips with the reality of work that many children in developing countries face.