From the sacred space to the criminal offense

Abstract

This research focused at the importance of the housing environment in the context of our social reality and the behaviour of offense-commiting teenagers studied in another article. There were relevant interviews conducted in Fortaleza’s minor court, due to the empirical content. Quantitative data was processed and it was revealed that the minors live in very poor areas, in the outskirts of Fortaleza. As to qualitative data, there were surprising results, as the minors informed that they liked their homes, but, at the same time, they demonstrated shame at their living conditions, located in slums (favelas). This leads to the conclusion that the housing condition affects the offense-commiting behaviour, as it is considered a sacred place both to our ancestors and to the majority of population nowadays. Keywords: Housing; Adolescent; Sacred; Criminal offense.