Adolescents in conflict with the law: a study of the practices performed by the Assisted Liberty program

Abstract

The question of criminality and violence, as well as the number of adolescents in conflict with the law has been increasing all over the country. The ECA (Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente, Brazil’s law for minors) foresees the attendance of those youngsters through social and educational measures, one of them especially focused on this research: the Assisted Liberty (LA). Developed on an open field, under the responsibility of Juizado da Infância e da Juventude (minor’s court in Fortaleza, Ceará state, Brazil), this measure is accomplished through internal social practices and by guiding the adolescents to governmental and non governmental organizations. This way, the intent of this research is to explore and describe the new practices developed by the LA aiming to promote the secondary socialization of the adolescents in conflict with the law, taking into consideration the assisted adolescents’ point of view. The investigative process was developed through many stages. As an aid to the theoretical basis we can mention the bibliographic survey and a deep study of the statute. The experimental data were collected through interviews (teenagers, relatives and technical group), promptuary analysis and institutional and domiciliary visits. The practices executed by the LA can be categorized like this: attendance to the adolescents; institutional and domiciliary visits; and leading to governmental and non governmental organizations. The most recurring leadings from the sample researched were: school, professionalizing courses, drug addiction treatments and shelters. From the collected data, and articulating with the theory and the legislation, we concluded that the secondary socialization process of adolescents in conflict with the law, attended by the LA – especially the lower class ones – works out in restrict sectors of the society, and it seems to confirm an inferiority condition through social practices predominantly referent to a restrict education and limited professionalization. Keywords: Adolescents. Assisted Liberty and Secondary Socialization. 1 Este artigo foi resultado de uma Pesquisa financiada pelo CNPq / PIBIC, concluída em julho de 2004 e os