Knowledge of US child labor laws and influence on work-related injury among working teenagers

Background: US child labor laws intend to protect young workers by regulating when teens work and what tasks can be performed, based on age; yet an estimated 70 work-related fatalities and hundreds of thousands of work-related injuries occur annually in youths. To date, no study has investigated how teens' knowledge of and adherence to labor laws influences the occurrence of work-related injury. Methods: Data was obtained from teenagers attending public high schools in Jefferson County, Kentucky, using qualitative and quantitative methods. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with 42 teens in April-May of 2010. In January-February of 2011 a survey of all teens in the schools was conducted. Results: Preliminary results indicate that the majority of the teens possessed general knowledge of child labor laws; however, this knowledge did not extend to dangerous task restrictions. General knowledge of the laws did not seem to be protective for work-related injury. Added analysis of the recently collected data from over 3,000 teens will permit in-depth exploration of the relationship between teen understanding of labor laws and injury. Specifically, the focus will be on differences in ways in which teens are educated about labor laws and whether these differences alter understanding, and thus impact injury. Discussion: Our research shows that many working teenagers have general knowledge of US child labor laws but lack knowledge of dangerous task restrictions. Further investigation should assess why teenagers do not abide by labor laws and why work-related injuries occur in youths educated about child labor laws.