MORAIS, S. G.; MORAIS, Samile Gonçalves de.
Resumen:
The age for a person to answer criminally for their actions is 18 years. The
progressive wave of violence and the involvement of children and adolescents in
illegal acts have prompted the discussion on reducing the legal age as a way to
reduce violence. This study aims to analyze the issue of reducing the legal age from
the perspective of a group of professionals from a Childcare-Unit. Under this
purpose, interviews were conducted with 11 professionals and then examined the
speech of the subjects based on the meaning core. In the survey, most of the
respondents is against the reduction of the legal age for believing be the structural
problem, due to important issues such as the ineffectiveness of public policies, the
precariousness of the educational systems, family disorders. They reinforced that this
contrast would be a repeated form of violence against these young people who are
commonly inserted into a process of social exclusion, denial of access to rights,
which leads to lack of social perspective and opportunities, and results in gradual
socio-economic and cultural differences . Another possible aspect to be noticed is the
relation between the level of education and the judgement of the respondents.
Favorable arguments are given predominantly among those with less study time. It
was frequently noticed in both groups the need for more effective public policies
aimed at this audience, belonging to the most vulnerable classes and to ensure the
quality of social and educational measures recommended by law.
