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Children in the Fields

While adults make up for most of the fieldworkers and employees, about 500,000 to 800,000 farmworkers are under the age of 18. Additionally,  many of these children are undocumented. Children in agriculture are the least protected by law. Unlike other occupations, children from the age of 12 and on can begin to work on the fields. One of the biggest hazards and dangers that these children face is damages to their bodies due to the working conditions. Many times, farmworkers are doing their jobs near pesticides which can be really harmful to one's body and lead to serious health issues. Since children are still developing both mentally and physically, these working conditions can really take a toll on them.  According to AFOP: “Adolescents also undergo growth spurts, which may decrease flexibility and increase their susceptibility to a variety of musculoskeletal injuries, such as bursitis, tendonitis, sprains, and carpal tunnel syndrome.” In addition to these physical damages, children also come upon a psychological and emotional strain due to the grim operations they conduct. On numerous occasions, these young workers do their job by themselves and have no parents to go back home to since they migrate without their relatives, which also plays a role in the emotional toll these tasks take on them. After a long day of work in the field, children have no one to turn to. 

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