The present study aims at presenting the meaning that families of adolescents deprived of freedom attribute to the socio-educative measure of internment and to the socio-educative measures served prior to institutionalization. As from a qualitative approach, a case study of three families who have sons institutionalized at the Adolescents Integration Center of Planaltina was performed. The instruments used were home visits and semi-structured interviews and, for the analysis and interpretation of data, the content analysis. The research shows that institutionalization, in spite of restricting freedom of the adolescents, is considered by the families as the only socio-educative measure that guarantees the protection of their sons, in opposite to the other socio-educative measures.
Family; Transgressor adolescent; Socio-educative measures
