Privileging the analysis of the social representations means to recognize its theoretical-methodological importance as a strategy of knowledge of the society. Considering its theme, the article explicits the pertinence of the Theory of the Social Representations as a possible analysis of the phenomenon of the contemporary violence, assuming the impossibility of understanding it without asking oneself about the senses, values and beliefs that structure and preside the social life. The text emphasizes the importance that public safety policies take into consideration meanings and senses, of subjective nature, expressed in the Social Representations, elaborated and produced not only by the members of public safety area but, equally, by those who direct or indirectly benefit or suffer from the consequences of their successes or mistakes. i.e., the society, in their different segments. In other words, through the use of empiric evidences, one points out the pertinence of inserting the theme of the social representations and of their contents in the horizon of the concerns of policy makers. The Federal District is the empiric universe that gives support to the accomplished analyses.
practices and social representations; public safety; violence; fear; Federal District