- Email: [email protected]
Awareness and Knowledge of the U.S. Child Labor Laws Among a National Sample of Working Adolescents and Their Parents
Journal of Adolescent Health 47 (2010) 414–417
Adolescent health brief
Awareness and Knowledge of the U.S. Child Labor Laws Among a National Sample of Working Adolescents and Their Parents Kimberly J. Rauscher, M.A., Sc.D.a,b,*, Carol W. Runyan, M.P.H., Ph.D.c,d,e,f, and Michael Schulman, Ph.D.c,g a
Department of Community Medicine, Robert C. Byrd Health Science Center School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia b West Virginia University Injury Control Research Center, Morgantown, West Virginia c University of North Carolina Injury Prevention Research Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina d Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina e Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina f Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina g Department of Sociology and Anthropology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina Manuscript received October 30, 2009; manuscript accepted February 24, 2010
Abstract
This study investigated awareness and knowledge of U.S. child labor laws among a nationally representative sample of 677 working adolescents and their parents. Findings demonstrate broad awareness of the child labor laws among adolescents, but little knowledge of the laws’ specific provisions among either youth or their parents. Ó 2010 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. All rights reserved.
Keywords:
Adolescent workers; Parents; Knowledge of child labor laws; Education, and Workplace health and safety
The U.S. child labor laws exist to protect young workers, yet violations of these laws are common [1,2]. Although employers are responsible for adhering to the laws, it is also important that working youth and their parents know the laws so that they can avoid illegal work. We examined the awareness and knowledge of select laws among working teens and their parents. Because a common educational effort is to provide youth and their parents with the child labor laws as part of the work permit application process common in most states [3,4], we also looked at whether knowledge varied by state permit requirements and compliance with them. In addition, we looked at differences by sex, age, and socioeconomic status (SES) [1,2].
This study was supported by grant 5-R01-03530-02 from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to the University of North Carolina Injury Prevention Research Center, with additional funding from the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control and the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service (in support of Dr. Schulman). *Address correspondence to: Kimberly J. Rauscher, M.A., Sc.D., Injury Control Research Center, West Virginia University, PO Box 9151; Morgantown WV 26506. E-mail address: [email protected]
Methods Sample and data collection From a 2003 survey of a nationally representative sample of working youth [5], we used data from respondents who held a paying job for two months or more in the 12 months before the survey and who were aged 14-17 years while in the referent job, and their parents (18-year-olds were excluded because the laws do not apply to them). This study was approved by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Institutional Review Board. Measurement and analysis To assess adolescents’ awareness of the laws, we asked whether they had heard about laws that limit teens’ jobs and laws that limit their work hours. Respondents answering ‘‘yes’’ were asked where they heard about the laws. To measure adolescent and parent knowledge, we asked questions about select hour and task restrictions. Responses were dichotomized into ‘‘correct’’ or ‘‘incorrect/don’t know.’’ We also created separate knowledge scores for adolescents and parents by summing their correct answers (range, 0–6).
1054-139X/$ - see front matter Ó 2010 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.02.014
K.J. Rauscher et al. / Journal of Adolescent Health 47 (2010) 414–417
415
Table 1 Knowledge of select child labor laws among working adolescents and their parents, by sex of respondent and socioeconomic status, n=677 (2003) Percent answering correctly
Adolescent knowledge Knows the latest hour of work allowed on school nights for teens ages 14–15a Knows the latest hour of work allowed on school nights for teens ages 16-17b Knows forklifts are prohibited for teens
Sex of respondent
Socioeconomic status (parental education)
All
Male
Female
HS diploma or <
Some college
College degree
Graduate school
25.5
22.2
30.0
25.0
34.8
28.0
12.00
16.7
16.8
16.6
15.4
16.8
16.9
17.9
52.0 45.3 38.2 25.0
51.1 46.7 36.6 26.8
53.0 43.9 40.1 23.0
56.8 46.8 41.4 24.3
53.3 48.1 38.3 26.6
49.8 40.9 35.0 24.6
48.7 46.6 39.2 24.3
8.5
5.0
9.5
5.0
13.0
12.0
4.0
11.2
13.0
10.6
15.3**
10.6**
11.8**
5.7**
1.5
1.9
1.4
1.8
3.2
0.49
0.68
23.5 51.4 45.1
21.4 49.7 39.6
24.1 51.9 46.7
27.1 58.8** 52.4
20.7 58.1** 45.8
23.2 42.4** 40.4
23.0 48.7** 42.6
Significance: **p < .01. a Includes only 14- and 15-year-old teens (n ¼ 94). b Includes only 16- and 17-year old teens (n ¼ 581). c Includes only parents of 14- and 15-year-olds (n ¼ 94). d Includes only parents of 16- and 17-year olds (n ¼ 581). e Maximum weekly hours vary by age, thus parents’ knowledge is based on the law that applies to the age of their paired teen.
The work permit requirement variable is categorized as ‘‘mandated,’’ ‘‘issued upon request,’’ and ‘‘no requirement,’’ following state laws [6]. Compliance was measured as whether respondents working in states that mandate permits had obtained one (in compliance) or did not (in violation) [2]. Age was categorized as 14–15 and 16–17 years, following the child labor laws’ age distinctions [7]. Finally, SES was measured using the highest education of the interviewed parent [8]. Using STATA 9.0 survey module (StataCorp, College Station, TX) [9], we calculated weighted percentages and means of knowledge scores with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) [5] and conducted Chi-square tests to detect significant differences (a ¼ .05). Results Sample characteristics The sample included 677 working adolescents and one parent of each. Most adolescents (86.1%) were aged 16 or 17 years. Over half (53.2%) were male and 88.9% were white. Over three-quarters of parents (76.5%) were female and 25.2% had a high school diploma or less, 22.9% had some college, 30.0% had a college degree and 21.9% had some graduate education. Seventy-one percent of
adolescent-parent pairs resided in states that mandate work permits. Adolescents’ awareness and knowledge of the child labor laws Most adolescents were aware that child labor laws exist, with 83.7% knowing that there are laws that restrict tasks and 90.2% knowing that there are laws that restrict hours for teens. Compared to older workers (91.7%), younger ones (80.9%) were more likely to be aware that there are laws that restrict tasks for teens (p ¼ .022). Information on the laws was received from employers (67.6%), school personnel (64.1%), parents (58.2%), and the media (44.9%) (mean sources ¼ 2.4, 95% CI ¼ 2.32, 2.46). Younger workers (72.4%) were more likely than older ones (56.2%) to get information from their parents (p < .001). The likelihood of receiving information from an employer decreased as SES levels increased (high school diploma ¼ 74.5%, some college ¼ 71.3%, college degree ¼ 66.3%, graduate school ¼ 58.5%) (p ¼ .007). Few adolescents knew the latest hour teens of their age can work on school nights, yet they were more knowledgeable about task prohibitions (Table 1). Teens’ mean knowledge score was 1.8 (95% CI ¼ 1.69, 1.87). Less than 17% had a score of 4 or higher. Younger workers (34.0%) were
416
K.J. Rauscher et al. / Journal of Adolescent Health 47 (2010) 414–417
Table 2 Knowledge of select child labor laws among working adolescents and their parents, by state work permit requirements and compliance (2003) Percent answering correctly State permit requirement
Adolescent knowledge Latest hour of work allowed on school nights for teen ages 14–15a Latest hour of work allowed on school nights for teens ages 16–17b Forklift prohibition for teens under age 18 Power slicer prohibition for teens under age 18 Power saw prohibition for teens under age 18 Roofing prohibition for teens under age 18 Parent knowledge Latest hour of work allowed on school nights for teen ages 14–15c Latest hour of work allowed on school nights for teens ages 16–17d Maximum weekly work hours allowed during the school yeare Motor vehicle prohibition for teens under age 18 Forklift prohibition for teens under age 18 Power slicer prohibition for teens under age 18
Permit compliance status
Not required (n ¼ 50)
Issued on request (n ¼ 145)
Mandated (n ¼ 474)
In compliance (n ¼ 278)
In violation (n ¼ 182)
50.0 13.6** 58.0 32.0 38.0 26.0
14.3 5.8** 46.2 41.4 30.4 18.6
23.4 21.0** 53.6 48.1 41.1 27.3
35.9** 23.4 55.8 50.4 43.2 26.3
11.4** 18.4 51.7 44.0 37.4 27.2
0.0 11.4** 0.0 26.2** 38.0* 42.0*
14.3 3.6** 0.69 15.2** 53.1* 36.6*
9.1 13.6** 1.9 26.0** 52.7* 48.5*
12.8 15.5 2.2 26.3 56.8** 51.1*
5.7 11.6 1.7 24.2 45.6** 44.5*
Significance: *p < .05, **p < .01. a Includes only 14- and 15-year-old teens (n ¼ 94). b Includes only 16- and 17-year old teens (n ¼ 581). c Includes only parents of 14- and 15-year-olds (n ¼ 94). d Includes only parents of 16- and 17-year olds (n ¼ 581). e Maximum weekly hours vary by age, thus parents’ knowledge is based on the law that applies to the age of their paired teen.
more likely than older ones (23.6%) to know that roofing is prohibited for minors (p ¼ .003) (not in table). Parents’ knowledge of child labor laws Very few parents knew the hour restrictions that apply to their child, yet task restriction knowledge was somewhat better (Table 1). The mean parent knowledge score was 1.3 (95% CI ¼ 1.18, 1.47). Parents in higher SES groups (college education or higher) were less likely to know the nightly hour limit for 16- and 17-year-olds (p ¼ .008) and the forklift restriction (p ¼ .003) than those in lower SES groups (some college or lower). Knowledge with-in adolescent-parent pairs. We also assessed within-family knowledge (data not shown in table). In only 3.2% (95% CI ¼ 0.86, 11.14) of teen-parent pairs did both know the latest hour 14- and 15-year-olds can work on school nights and 7.2% (95% CI ¼ 5.47, 9.49) knew the latest hour for 16- and 17-year-olds. Task restriction knowledge was somewhat better with 29.9% (95% CI ¼ 23.11, 37.76) of pairs knowing that forklifts are prohibited, and 22.1% (95% CI ¼ 18.43, 26.21) knowing that power slicers are prohibited. Awareness and knowledge by state work permit requirements and compliance We found no difference in teens’ awareness of the laws by work permit requirements. Adolescents in compliance with their state’s permit requirements, however, were more likely
to be aware of both the laws that restrict work hours (p < .001) and tasks (p ¼ .040) for teens. Table 2 displays teen and parent knowledge by work permit requirements and compliance. Adolescents working in states where permits are mandated were most likely to know the latest hour 16- and 17-year-olds can work on a school night, whereas those in states that issue permits on request were the least likely to know this restriction (p < .001) (Table 2). Adolescents in compliance were more likely to know the hour restrictions for 14- and 15-year-olds (p ¼ .008). Parents in ‘‘issued upon request’’ states were generally the least likely to know the laws. Parents of children in compliance were more likely to know the prohibitions against using forklifts (p < .001) and power slicers (p ¼ .046) compared with those with children in violation. Discussion These findings demonstrate that most U.S. working adolescents are aware of the child labor laws, but they, and their parents, know little about their specific restrictions. Although the responsibility to adhere to the laws rests with employers and enforcement is critical, this study demonstrates a need to improve knowledge of the child labor laws among adolescents and parents to enable them to avoid illegal work. Acknowledgments We would like to thank Dr. J. Michael Bowling for instrument development and statistical guidance and Dr. Robert
K.J. Rauscher et al. / Journal of Adolescent Health 47 (2010) 414–417
Agans for overseeing sampling and data collection operations.
References [1] Kruse DL, Mahoney D. Illegal child labor in the United States: Prevalence and characteristics. Ind Labor Relat Rev 2000;54:17–40. [2] Rauscher KJ, Runyan CW, Schulman M, et al. US child labor law violations in the us retail and service industries: Findings from a national survey of working adolescents. Am J Public Health 2008;98:1693–9. [3] Wage and Hour Division, United States Department of Labor. Table of Employment/Age Certification Issuance Practice Under State Child Labor Laws. Washington, DC: United States Department of Labor, 2003. Available at: http://www.dol.gov/whd/state/cert2003.htm. Updated January 1, 2003; Cited November 2009.
417
[4] Young Worker Safety Resource Center. Summary of Activities of the YWSRC State Partners. Meeting of State Partners of the Young Worker Safety Resource Center, Newton, MA; 2007. [5] Runyan C, Schulman M, Dal Santo J, et al. Work-related hazards and workplace safety of US adolescents employed in the retail and service sectors. Pediatrics 2007;119:526–34. [6] United States Department of Labor. State Labor Laws. Washington, DC: United States Department of Labor. Available at: http://www.dol.gov/ whd/state/state.htm. Updated January, 2007; Cited November 2009. [7] United States Department of Labor. Code of Federal Regulations Pertaining to the US Department of Labor. Washington, DC: Washington United States Department of Labor. Available at: http://www.dol.gov/ dol/allcfr/ESA/Title_29/Part_570/toc.htm. Cited January, 2010. [8] Krieger N, Williams D, Moss N. Measuring social class in US public health research: Concepts, methodologies and guidelines. Annu Rev Public Health 1997;18:341–78. [9] STATA version 9.2. College Station, TX: StataCorp, 2006.
Adolescent health brief
Awareness and Knowledge of the U.S. Child Labor Laws Among a National Sample of Working Adolescents and Their Parents Kimberly J. Rauscher, M.A., Sc.D.a,b,*, Carol W. Runyan, M.P.H., Ph.D.c,d,e,f, and Michael Schulman, Ph.D.c,g a
Department of Community Medicine, Robert C. Byrd Health Science Center School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia b West Virginia University Injury Control Research Center, Morgantown, West Virginia c University of North Carolina Injury Prevention Research Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina d Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina e Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina f Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina g Department of Sociology and Anthropology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina Manuscript received October 30, 2009; manuscript accepted February 24, 2010
Abstract
This study investigated awareness and knowledge of U.S. child labor laws among a nationally representative sample of 677 working adolescents and their parents. Findings demonstrate broad awareness of the child labor laws among adolescents, but little knowledge of the laws’ specific provisions among either youth or their parents. Ó 2010 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. All rights reserved.
Keywords:
Adolescent workers; Parents; Knowledge of child labor laws; Education, and Workplace health and safety
The U.S. child labor laws exist to protect young workers, yet violations of these laws are common [1,2]. Although employers are responsible for adhering to the laws, it is also important that working youth and their parents know the laws so that they can avoid illegal work. We examined the awareness and knowledge of select laws among working teens and their parents. Because a common educational effort is to provide youth and their parents with the child labor laws as part of the work permit application process common in most states [3,4], we also looked at whether knowledge varied by state permit requirements and compliance with them. In addition, we looked at differences by sex, age, and socioeconomic status (SES) [1,2].
This study was supported by grant 5-R01-03530-02 from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to the University of North Carolina Injury Prevention Research Center, with additional funding from the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control and the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service (in support of Dr. Schulman). *Address correspondence to: Kimberly J. Rauscher, M.A., Sc.D., Injury Control Research Center, West Virginia University, PO Box 9151; Morgantown WV 26506. E-mail address: [email protected]
Methods Sample and data collection From a 2003 survey of a nationally representative sample of working youth [5], we used data from respondents who held a paying job for two months or more in the 12 months before the survey and who were aged 14-17 years while in the referent job, and their parents (18-year-olds were excluded because the laws do not apply to them). This study was approved by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Institutional Review Board. Measurement and analysis To assess adolescents’ awareness of the laws, we asked whether they had heard about laws that limit teens’ jobs and laws that limit their work hours. Respondents answering ‘‘yes’’ were asked where they heard about the laws. To measure adolescent and parent knowledge, we asked questions about select hour and task restrictions. Responses were dichotomized into ‘‘correct’’ or ‘‘incorrect/don’t know.’’ We also created separate knowledge scores for adolescents and parents by summing their correct answers (range, 0–6).
1054-139X/$ - see front matter Ó 2010 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.02.014
K.J. Rauscher et al. / Journal of Adolescent Health 47 (2010) 414–417
415
Table 1 Knowledge of select child labor laws among working adolescents and their parents, by sex of respondent and socioeconomic status, n=677 (2003) Percent answering correctly
Adolescent knowledge Knows the latest hour of work allowed on school nights for teens ages 14–15a Knows the latest hour of work allowed on school nights for teens ages 16-17b Knows forklifts are prohibited for teens
Sex of respondent
Socioeconomic status (parental education)
All
Male
Female
HS diploma or <
Some college
College degree
Graduate school
25.5
22.2
30.0
25.0
34.8
28.0
12.00
16.7
16.8
16.6
15.4
16.8
16.9
17.9
52.0 45.3 38.2 25.0
51.1 46.7 36.6 26.8
53.0 43.9 40.1 23.0
56.8 46.8 41.4 24.3
53.3 48.1 38.3 26.6
49.8 40.9 35.0 24.6
48.7 46.6 39.2 24.3
8.5
5.0
9.5
5.0
13.0
12.0
4.0
11.2
13.0
10.6
15.3**
10.6**
11.8**
5.7**
1.5
1.9
1.4
1.8
3.2
0.49
0.68
23.5 51.4 45.1
21.4 49.7 39.6
24.1 51.9 46.7
27.1 58.8** 52.4
20.7 58.1** 45.8
23.2 42.4** 40.4
23.0 48.7** 42.6
Significance: **p < .01. a Includes only 14- and 15-year-old teens (n ¼ 94). b Includes only 16- and 17-year old teens (n ¼ 581). c Includes only parents of 14- and 15-year-olds (n ¼ 94). d Includes only parents of 16- and 17-year olds (n ¼ 581). e Maximum weekly hours vary by age, thus parents’ knowledge is based on the law that applies to the age of their paired teen.
The work permit requirement variable is categorized as ‘‘mandated,’’ ‘‘issued upon request,’’ and ‘‘no requirement,’’ following state laws [6]. Compliance was measured as whether respondents working in states that mandate permits had obtained one (in compliance) or did not (in violation) [2]. Age was categorized as 14–15 and 16–17 years, following the child labor laws’ age distinctions [7]. Finally, SES was measured using the highest education of the interviewed parent [8]. Using STATA 9.0 survey module (StataCorp, College Station, TX) [9], we calculated weighted percentages and means of knowledge scores with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) [5] and conducted Chi-square tests to detect significant differences (a ¼ .05). Results Sample characteristics The sample included 677 working adolescents and one parent of each. Most adolescents (86.1%) were aged 16 or 17 years. Over half (53.2%) were male and 88.9% were white. Over three-quarters of parents (76.5%) were female and 25.2% had a high school diploma or less, 22.9% had some college, 30.0% had a college degree and 21.9% had some graduate education. Seventy-one percent of
adolescent-parent pairs resided in states that mandate work permits. Adolescents’ awareness and knowledge of the child labor laws Most adolescents were aware that child labor laws exist, with 83.7% knowing that there are laws that restrict tasks and 90.2% knowing that there are laws that restrict hours for teens. Compared to older workers (91.7%), younger ones (80.9%) were more likely to be aware that there are laws that restrict tasks for teens (p ¼ .022). Information on the laws was received from employers (67.6%), school personnel (64.1%), parents (58.2%), and the media (44.9%) (mean sources ¼ 2.4, 95% CI ¼ 2.32, 2.46). Younger workers (72.4%) were more likely than older ones (56.2%) to get information from their parents (p < .001). The likelihood of receiving information from an employer decreased as SES levels increased (high school diploma ¼ 74.5%, some college ¼ 71.3%, college degree ¼ 66.3%, graduate school ¼ 58.5%) (p ¼ .007). Few adolescents knew the latest hour teens of their age can work on school nights, yet they were more knowledgeable about task prohibitions (Table 1). Teens’ mean knowledge score was 1.8 (95% CI ¼ 1.69, 1.87). Less than 17% had a score of 4 or higher. Younger workers (34.0%) were
416
K.J. Rauscher et al. / Journal of Adolescent Health 47 (2010) 414–417
Table 2 Knowledge of select child labor laws among working adolescents and their parents, by state work permit requirements and compliance (2003) Percent answering correctly State permit requirement
Adolescent knowledge Latest hour of work allowed on school nights for teen ages 14–15a Latest hour of work allowed on school nights for teens ages 16–17b Forklift prohibition for teens under age 18 Power slicer prohibition for teens under age 18 Power saw prohibition for teens under age 18 Roofing prohibition for teens under age 18 Parent knowledge Latest hour of work allowed on school nights for teen ages 14–15c Latest hour of work allowed on school nights for teens ages 16–17d Maximum weekly work hours allowed during the school yeare Motor vehicle prohibition for teens under age 18 Forklift prohibition for teens under age 18 Power slicer prohibition for teens under age 18
Permit compliance status
Not required (n ¼ 50)
Issued on request (n ¼ 145)
Mandated (n ¼ 474)
In compliance (n ¼ 278)
In violation (n ¼ 182)
50.0 13.6** 58.0 32.0 38.0 26.0
14.3 5.8** 46.2 41.4 30.4 18.6
23.4 21.0** 53.6 48.1 41.1 27.3
35.9** 23.4 55.8 50.4 43.2 26.3
11.4** 18.4 51.7 44.0 37.4 27.2
0.0 11.4** 0.0 26.2** 38.0* 42.0*
14.3 3.6** 0.69 15.2** 53.1* 36.6*
9.1 13.6** 1.9 26.0** 52.7* 48.5*
12.8 15.5 2.2 26.3 56.8** 51.1*
5.7 11.6 1.7 24.2 45.6** 44.5*
Significance: *p < .05, **p < .01. a Includes only 14- and 15-year-old teens (n ¼ 94). b Includes only 16- and 17-year old teens (n ¼ 581). c Includes only parents of 14- and 15-year-olds (n ¼ 94). d Includes only parents of 16- and 17-year olds (n ¼ 581). e Maximum weekly hours vary by age, thus parents’ knowledge is based on the law that applies to the age of their paired teen.
more likely than older ones (23.6%) to know that roofing is prohibited for minors (p ¼ .003) (not in table). Parents’ knowledge of child labor laws Very few parents knew the hour restrictions that apply to their child, yet task restriction knowledge was somewhat better (Table 1). The mean parent knowledge score was 1.3 (95% CI ¼ 1.18, 1.47). Parents in higher SES groups (college education or higher) were less likely to know the nightly hour limit for 16- and 17-year-olds (p ¼ .008) and the forklift restriction (p ¼ .003) than those in lower SES groups (some college or lower). Knowledge with-in adolescent-parent pairs. We also assessed within-family knowledge (data not shown in table). In only 3.2% (95% CI ¼ 0.86, 11.14) of teen-parent pairs did both know the latest hour 14- and 15-year-olds can work on school nights and 7.2% (95% CI ¼ 5.47, 9.49) knew the latest hour for 16- and 17-year-olds. Task restriction knowledge was somewhat better with 29.9% (95% CI ¼ 23.11, 37.76) of pairs knowing that forklifts are prohibited, and 22.1% (95% CI ¼ 18.43, 26.21) knowing that power slicers are prohibited. Awareness and knowledge by state work permit requirements and compliance We found no difference in teens’ awareness of the laws by work permit requirements. Adolescents in compliance with their state’s permit requirements, however, were more likely
to be aware of both the laws that restrict work hours (p < .001) and tasks (p ¼ .040) for teens. Table 2 displays teen and parent knowledge by work permit requirements and compliance. Adolescents working in states where permits are mandated were most likely to know the latest hour 16- and 17-year-olds can work on a school night, whereas those in states that issue permits on request were the least likely to know this restriction (p < .001) (Table 2). Adolescents in compliance were more likely to know the hour restrictions for 14- and 15-year-olds (p ¼ .008). Parents in ‘‘issued upon request’’ states were generally the least likely to know the laws. Parents of children in compliance were more likely to know the prohibitions against using forklifts (p < .001) and power slicers (p ¼ .046) compared with those with children in violation. Discussion These findings demonstrate that most U.S. working adolescents are aware of the child labor laws, but they, and their parents, know little about their specific restrictions. Although the responsibility to adhere to the laws rests with employers and enforcement is critical, this study demonstrates a need to improve knowledge of the child labor laws among adolescents and parents to enable them to avoid illegal work. Acknowledgments We would like to thank Dr. J. Michael Bowling for instrument development and statistical guidance and Dr. Robert
K.J. Rauscher et al. / Journal of Adolescent Health 47 (2010) 414–417
Agans for overseeing sampling and data collection operations.
References [1] Kruse DL, Mahoney D. Illegal child labor in the United States: Prevalence and characteristics. Ind Labor Relat Rev 2000;54:17–40. [2] Rauscher KJ, Runyan CW, Schulman M, et al. US child labor law violations in the us retail and service industries: Findings from a national survey of working adolescents. Am J Public Health 2008;98:1693–9. [3] Wage and Hour Division, United States Department of Labor. Table of Employment/Age Certification Issuance Practice Under State Child Labor Laws. Washington, DC: United States Department of Labor, 2003. Available at: http://www.dol.gov/whd/state/cert2003.htm. Updated January 1, 2003; Cited November 2009.
417
[4] Young Worker Safety Resource Center. Summary of Activities of the YWSRC State Partners. Meeting of State Partners of the Young Worker Safety Resource Center, Newton, MA; 2007. [5] Runyan C, Schulman M, Dal Santo J, et al. Work-related hazards and workplace safety of US adolescents employed in the retail and service sectors. Pediatrics 2007;119:526–34. [6] United States Department of Labor. State Labor Laws. Washington, DC: United States Department of Labor. Available at: http://www.dol.gov/ whd/state/state.htm. Updated January, 2007; Cited November 2009. [7] United States Department of Labor. Code of Federal Regulations Pertaining to the US Department of Labor. Washington, DC: Washington United States Department of Labor. Available at: http://www.dol.gov/ dol/allcfr/ESA/Title_29/Part_570/toc.htm. Cited January, 2010. [8] Krieger N, Williams D, Moss N. Measuring social class in US public health research: Concepts, methodologies and guidelines. Annu Rev Public Health 1997;18:341–78. [9] STATA version 9.2. College Station, TX: StataCorp, 2006.