Abstract
This article aims to introduce some reflections on the contemporary meaning of the term youth, and present important considerations on the pair youth-violence. It seeks, also, to introduce some relevant data that help to understand the particular vulnerability of young people who live in certain neighborhoods in the city of Porto Alegre, since these data enable to infer strong relationships between violence, education and family. Finally, it outlines a critical review of the three main paradigms of public policies for juveniles (related to work, education and sports) that have been traditionally implemented. In the context of these reflections it is important to consider the development of a “digital culture” and its side effect, the “social capital”, for the formulation of a “new” policy for young people living under social vulnerability in urban contexts.
Keywords:
Juveniles; Social Vulnerability; Violence; Youth policies