Child Labor in Europe, History of

This entry provides an overview of child labor in Europe from the 16th to early 20th centuries. In this entry, the term child labor is used to describe forms of labor carried out by children under 15 years of age in contexts where they were treated as part of a labor force, whether the work is paid or unpaid. First, the controversial character of the issue is noted with a focus on differences between past and present forms of childhood labor. The specific forms of child labor discussed include rural child labor, child labor in poor-relief institutions, industrial child labor, and child labor in urban environment.