Abstract

COUTINHO, Maria da Penha de Lima; ESTEVAM, Ionara Dantas; ARAUJO, Ludgleydson Fernandes de  and  ARAUJO, Lidiane Silva. Practice of freedom privation in teenagers: a psychosocial approachPráctica de privación de libertad en adolescentes: un enfoque psicosocial. Psicol. estud. [online]. 2011, vol.16, n.1, pp. 101-109. ISSN 1413-7372.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1413-73722011000100012.

The Statute of Children and Adolescents ( a Brazilian law related to children and adolescents),  contains articles regulating the practice of the  infraction act  and the socioeducational procedures  leading  the adolescent  to  reflect on the offense committed  and its subsequent return to the familial interaction. The objective was to understand the social representations of adolescents in conflict with the law about socioeducative practice with privation of liberty. The study included 50 adolescents who completed interviews with depth  which,  thereafter,  were subjected to content analysis. The results showed seven empirical categories: conception of the practice socioeducative of privation of freedom, description of the institution, professional image, perception of self-image, life experience, demonstrations and biopsycognitve life project. Social representations indicated that the practice presented a non-socialization primacy in relation to socialization. The social actors have shown that if the practice of socioeducative which is related with the privation of liberty is just and humane, they can be succeed in re-socialization of these adolescents and in overcoming their excluded condition.

Keywords : Adolescent in conflict with the law; freedom privation; social representations.