Following the path between Psychoanalysis and Public Health, this article uses several categories of the Winnicottian clinical theory to rethink the approaches of the Brazilian public policies for juvenile offenders and their families. Many young people are currently dealing with violence-related problems in Brazil. For the psychoanalytical clinical approach based on the contributions of D. W. Winnicott, this problem arises from a failure during the initial narcissistic phase of development. The article also analyses the drawbacks of these policies within the current context with an aim at providing information to achieve the desired effectiveness for these practices, and to prospect suitable educational processes for health and social workers. It is expected to contribute to a proper and fertile intersection of different disciplinary fields, thus putting Winnicott’s psychoanalysis in contact with urgent issues of our time, as recent international publications have addressed in this area.
Young people; Psychoanalytic clinics; Public policies; Public health; Winnicott