Interpersonal Relationships of Juvenile Offenders at Treatment Facilities<sup>,</sup>

Coscioni, Vinicius; Nascimento, Danielly Bart do; Rosa, Edinete Maria; Koller, Sílvia Helena

doi:10.1590/0102.3772e3645

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Psicologia: Teoria e Pesquisa

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Sumário

Clinical Psychology and Culture • Psic.: Teor. e Pesq. 36 • 2020 • https://doi.org/10.1590/0102.3772e3645 copy

Interpersonal Relationships of Juvenile Offenders at Treatment Facilities^* * Financial Support: Capes and CNPq. ^,^ Paper derived from the first author’s master’s dissertation, advised by the third and the fourth author.

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

This research characterized interpersonal relationships established by juvenile offenders at treatment facilities, from the juvenile offenders’ perspective. It is a multiple case study conducted through four focus groups with 25 juvenile offenders, aged from 15 to 19 years old, inmate in treatment facilities of two Brazilian States. Participants characterized relationships with the treatment facilities’ workers as hostile and distant. Relationships with peers were mediated by values that perpetuate offending behavior. Adolescents related an approach with their families, as they were a source of social support during the moment of adversity. The period in treatment facilities thus constitutes a time of intense suffering and ineffective in its function of promoting development.

Keywords:
adolescent; institutionalized; juvenile delinquency; interpersonal relationships

Subject	Summarized description
Evaluative Technical Function	The technical staff has the function of evaluating the adolescents. This assessment occurs to investigate the adolescents’ aspirations. Adolescents are not comfortable sharing this content with the technicians, fearing that it may mean increased length of stay at the facility. This leads adolescents to simulate behaviors and omit information in order to convince techinical staff in relation to extinction of the MSE.
Disbelief at the technical staff	The technical staff demonstrates not caring about the adolescents, taking a judgmental posture as well as transmitting fake news. Technical meetings are often repetitive, occur at a low frequency, are ineffective and do not help adolescents.
Technical staff support	The technical staff works effectively and helps the adolescents from the transmission of information, help with daily activities, and intermediation in relation to contact with the family. Adolescents consider positive the meetings in which technicians do not ask so many questions, give advice, and demonstrate understanding of their points of view.
Authoritarian Socio-Educational Agents	The opinion of socio-educational agents prevails over adolescents’ opinion. As a result, agents submit adolescents to indiscriminate sanctions, physical aggression, humiliation and humiliating and embarrassing procedures.
Good coexistence with socio-educational agents	Adolescents and agents establish an intimacy relationship. Agents advise adolescents, talk about their daily and family issues, submit them to few sanctions, give tips not to get involved in conflicts that can mean sanctions, act kindly, and do favors that help them with their daily lives.
Rules of coexistence among adolescents	The adolescents live with rules that were created between them and that exist in the institution for generations. These rules establish a collective pact. The main rules refer to the treatment of family members. Punishments are due to the violation of these rules, involving physical aggression and isolation. Adolescents who have committed sex offenses are also isolated from the others
Disagreements and coexistence with the enemy	There are quarrels among adolescents, motivated by belonging to rival criminal factions, unwanted play, and personal quarrels. As adolescents have in common the desire to leave the facility as soon as possible, they agree that problems before and during confinement should be resolved after being dismissed from the MSE.
Friendship and solidarity among adolescents	Adolescents establish friendships, especially with members of friendly criminal factions or of the same dormitory. With these adolescents, there is advice exchange and even protection against conflicts with other adolescents. Adolescents share materials they receive from their families during visits.
Importance of the family	Adolescents consider the time of family visits the most important and enjoyable during confinement, creating expectations for their occurrence and feeling sad after family members go away. Through visits, the adolescents get information about the environment outside the facility, showing dissatisfaction when family members omit information. The period of the MSE provides the approximation of adolescents with their family, and adolescents who do not receive visits commonly face more difficulties during the MSE.
Difficulties in contacting family members	Adolescents report situations that hamper contact with their families during the MSE. Logistics issues of treatment facilities delay family members from entering at the expected visit time, then lines are formed for visitors to enter. Employees abuse family members, who undergo embarrassing inspection procedures. Telephone contact with family members is difficult and very short. Visitors spend a lot of money with bus tickets and cleaning products and food. The space for visits is insufficient to accommodate all present and there is no place for intimate visits. Visits to family members in prisons are hampered by bureaucratic procedures and occur in an embarrassing way.

Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade de Brasília Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade de Brasília, 70910-900 - Brasília - DF - Brazil, Tel./Fax: (061) 274-6455 - Brasília - DF - Brazil
E-mail: revistaptp@gmail.com

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[1] *** E-mail: viniciuscoscioni@gmail.com

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Interpersonal Relationships of Juvenile Offenders at Treatment Facilities* * Financial Support: Capes and CNPq. ,** ** Paper derived from the first author’s master’s dissertation, advised by the third and the fourth author.

Abstract

Interpersonal Relationships of Juvenile Offenders at Treatment Facilities^* * Financial Support: Capes and CNPq. ^,^ Paper derived from the first author’s master’s dissertation, advised by the third and the fourth author.