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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2007.122853v1 98/9/1693    most recent Submit a response Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Rauscher, K. J. Articles by Bowling, J. M. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Rauscher, K. J. Articles by Bowling, J. M. Related Collections Health Law Health Policy Adolescent Health Occupational Health Surveys

Kimberly J. Rauscher, ScD, MA, Carol W. Runyan, PhD, MPH, Michael D. Schulman, PhD and J. Michael Bowling, PhD

Kimberly J. Rauscher, Carol W. Runyan, and J. Michael Bowling are with the University of North Carolina Injury Prevention Research Center, Chapel Hill. Carol W. Runyan and J. Michael Bowling are also with the School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Carol W. Runyan is also with the School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Michael D. Schulman is with the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Kimberly J. Rauscher, MA, ScD, University of North Carolina Injury Prevention Research Center, 137 East Franklin St, Suite 500, CB #7505, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 (e-mail: kimberly_rauscher{at}unc.edu).

Objectives. We investigated child labor violations among US adolescents working in the retail and service industries.

Methods. We used interview data from a nationally representative sample of working adolescents, and investigated reports of select child labor violations (e.g., hours, equipment, and work permits). We computed weighted percentages of respondents reporting each type of discrete (and aggregated) violation.

Results. Nearly 37% of respondents reported a violation of the hazardous occupations orders (i.e., prohibited jobs or use of equipment), and 40% reported a work permit violation. Fewer than 2% reported working more than the maximum weekly hours allowed during the school year, but 11% reported working past the latest hour allowed on a school night, and 15% reported working off the clock.

Conclusions. Significant numbers of US adolescents are employed in violation of the child labor laws and as a result are exposed to safety risks. Although our data did not allow for an analysis of enforcement, our findings demonstrate gaps in employer compliance with the law. We suggest that closer attention to enforcement policy and practice is needed.