(RLDS) - Addis Ababa University

definition. In different literatures these terms are defined in different ways. To start from the
term child, the major criterion taken to define a child is age. However, a definition that takes age
as defining criteria has been severely criticized by researchers. One criticism is that universal age
criteria is not applicable for all societies since societies vary in their perception of the age at
which individuals are considered or pronounced to be adult. Furthermore, there is geographical
difference in terms of rural Vs urban and in relation to the type of the society. Next to this, there
might be variation in age limits in line with the sex of the child too. Other than this, using
chronological age as criteria has its own difficulty when it comes to deciding on the upper and
lower limit. There is variation internationally and within a country as well (Morice 1981: 135).
In some societies the fulfillment of socially defined criteria other than age is significant. For
instance, in the Western societies recreation and leisure time with no economic responsibilities
characterize childhood. The African child rearing practices however are different including the
values attached to it. In Ethiopia there are a number of Ethnic groups each with their own
‘definition’ of a child and different child rearing practices. An urban area, particularly Addis
Ababa, is a melting pot of people belonging to different ethnic groups. As a result, definition of a
child should take into consideration the social context the child is living. “A child is not
considered as an isolated entity but rather as a part of a system. Affected by and having an effect
upon his surrounding …a child behavior is reflective of his unique family and environment that
are strongly affected by culture and ethnicity” ( Slonim 1991: 31). So the term Child can be
perceived in different way depending on the culture and legislation's of a country.
UNICEF and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the child define a child as an individual who is under the age of 18. While the
Transitional Government of Ethiopia Proclamation No. 42 of 1993 defines a young worker as a person who has attained the age of 14. UN
defines a child as a person below 15 years with the exception of especially circumstances that set the limit up to 14-year (Minimum Age
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