Adolescentes em medida socioeducativa de privação de liberdade: reflexos das relações sociais de sexo, raça/cor/etnia e classe

Abstract

When considering the participation of adolescents people in the commission of infractions, public data on the socio-educational system reveals a significantly smaller presence of females. Based on this, the objective of this thesis is to analyze the social determinants that lead adolescent females to be a minority in the socio-educational system of deprivation of liberty, in order to understand the particularities of the practice of criminal acts through the lens of gender relations. Grounded in the critical dialectical method, the research is exploratory and qualitative, using bibliographic and documentary research techniques, as well as structured observation, to gather the necessary information to understand the research subject. As for the results, it was observed that the discussed theme needs to gain greater visibility, both from society and the State, given that the female population is a minority in the socio-educational system. The most common infractions among adolescent and young females within the system are those aimed at financial gain, particularly theft and drug trafficking. Considering gender, race, and class determinants, institutionalized girls exhibit distinct characteristics and needs compared to boys. Most of them are Black or Brown, aged between 16 and 18, and come from contexts of poverty and violence, with their life trajectories marked by marginalization, domestic violence, and lack of access to health and education. It is essential to understand the profile of these adolescents and their experiences concerning the socio-educational policies applied to them, so that fair and effective alternatives can be developed, respecting their specificities. Moreover, mechanisms and strategies are needed to break the cycle of violence in its various forms, as these individuals are already vulnerable and fragile due to the rights violations that are part of their lives. The institutions that house them must be spaces of protection, aiming for social reintegration, understood from an emancipatory perspective, and developing practices that help rebuild bonds in the lives of adolescent people deprived of liberty. Regarding the care of institutionalized adolescent females, it is evident that there is gender, class, and race inequality, perpetuating the practices of a patriarchal society that sees women as subordinate to men, which contributes to the violence within the institutional environment. This intertwines with the fact that they are a minority in this system, which was not designed for women, but by men and for men.