Forced Child Labor: Rights at Risk and Legal Consequences

Forced child labor is a serious challenge to children’s rights, human dignity, social justice, and the implementation of the law. Despite the existence of international and national legal frameworks, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child and relevant International Labor Organization (ILO) conventions, children’s rights are still seriously threatened in practice. This study, based on a qualitative method, aims to identify the rights of children at risk in the context of forced child labor, assess the implementation of legal consequences, analyze the effectiveness of enforcement mechanisms, and make recommendations for strengthening accountability and legal protection. The study was conducted through semi-structured interviews and document analysis with former child workers, legal experts, labor observers, and children’s rights institutions. The findings show that children’s rights to education, health, and psychological development are the most violated. Although laws exist, weak implementation, lack of institutional resources, and poor coordination among agencies have limited the effectiveness of the law. The study concludes that the protection of children's rights is not guaranteed by the existence of laws alone, but requires effective implementation, social and economic support, and institutional coordination.