What Are the Dangers of Teen Employment?

Sleep and School

• According to a National Institutes of Health research review by Dr. Jeylan T. Mortimer, principal investigator of the youth development study at the University of Minnesota, teens who work too many hours can suffer from sleep deprivation and have problems with their schoolwork. For instance, a teen who works until 7 p.m. and gets home at 8 p.m. may have difficulty studying and getting homework done in time to get enough sleep for school in the morning. If she tries to do a good job at both work and school, she may drive in to school with dangerously little sleep or have trouble paying enough attention to her teachers. If she neglects her schoolwork to make sure she gets enough sleep, her grades can suffer. Some employers ignore laws that forbid teens from working after 7 p.m. on school nights. A study by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's injury prevention research center found that many teens work later than allowed by law.

Developmental Concerns

• Sleep deprivation is not the only potential risk for teenagers who work too many hours. Dr. Mortimer points out that teens who work extra hours tend not to participate in extracurricular activities that could provide them with a more well-rounded experience in high school. They also tend not to approach their teachers for extra help when they need it, potentially impacting their schoolwork. Some developmental psychologists believe that the teenage years represent an important transitional stage in which teens should have the opportunity to concentrate on discovering themselves before facing the stresses and concerns of adulthood. Teens who work too many hours may take on adult worries and responsibilities too soon, cheating themselves of the chance to figure out what they really want from life.

Accidents

• According to the National Consumers League, car accidents are the most common cause of on-the-job fatalities involving teenagers. Many of the jobs available to teens involve some amount of driving. Teens work as pizza delivery drivers, traveling salespeople and forklift and tractor operators. According to the UNCCH study, teens are often asked to operate potentially dangerous equipment without appropriate training. Teens who work in restaurants can also be exposed to danger from fryers, cutting equipment or wet floors. The National Consumers League warns that teens employed in construction or agriculture can be injured by falling from a dangerous height.

Violence

• According to the National Consumers League, 10 percent of all Massachusetts teenagers reported having experienced a physical assault of some kind while on the job. Teens can be in danger of attack from co-workers, customers or criminals. The UNCCH study found that most teens had received no training in how to handle personal conflicts with co-workers without resorting to violence and that they frequently worked with no supervision by adults. The same study found that teens who handled cash were at higher risk of being injured or killed in an armed robbery.

Most Dangerous Jobs

• The National Consumers League listed the five most dangerous jobs for teens in 2012 as agriculture; construction; traveling sales work; landscaping or grounds-keeping jobs; and operating or driving equipment such as tractors, forklifts or all-terrain vehicles. Teens working in agriculture were in danger from accidents involving farm equipment. Teens working in construction were in danger of being hurt in a fall. Teens working in a traveling sales team were in danger from road accidents and workplace violence or sexual assault. Teens working in landscaping or operating equipment such as forklifts were in danger from accidents.