The article deals with urban violence, mainly against children and youngsters in Rio Grande do Sul, between 1890 and 1920, highlighting the medical assistance, which follows violence, and public policies on health care and social rescue for young infractors. The documental sources, although rarely offer explicit indications about the motives of infractions and consequent hospitalizations, allow inferences through the relationship established between the inflicted wounds and the means to cause them. Regarding mistreat and indecent sexual behavior, the findings are based on denouncements, on police reports and on the incidence of accomplished corpus delicti exams.
urban violence; young infractors; public policies; Rio Grande do Sul State
