Adolescentes em acolhimento institucional: imagens sociais e o direito à convivência comunitária

Abstract

This thesis analyzed the social images attributed to adolescents treated in institutional care services and their implications for the realization of the right to community coexistence. And to answer this objective, four studies were conducted, based on different methodological designs, but thematically related. In the first study, an integrative review of the scientific literature was carried out, aiming to investigate the social representations of adolescence, with attention to the social images underlying these representations of adolescents in different contexts. The search carried out considered studies in Portuguese, English and Spanish, published from 2000 to 2016 and the electronic databases used were Bireme (SCielo, Lilacs), Latindex, Psycinfo, Scopus and Web of sciences. The main results evidenced a naturalizing and universal conception of adolescence, perceived as semi-pathological, characterized by crisis and imbalance; as a transition phase from childhood to adulthood, as a biological condition. In addition, there were meanings of anchoring of representations in the context of the doctrine of irregular situation, especially when dealing with adolescents in conflict with the law. Social representations of adolescence associated with violence and poverty also emerged. Among the social images underlying social representations are dangerous, threatening, uncontrolled, rebellious, immature, weak, incomplete, among others. The second study aimed to discuss how the “Orientações Técnicas para os Serviços de Acolhimento de Crianças e Adolescentes” address the theme of community coexistence. Among the main results, community coexistence is presented as a fundamental right, closely linked to the family context, being an imperative relationship. The family appears as a central focus of attention for ensuring community coexistence and provisionality of the service. The document also highlights the importance of the use of equipment available in the community by children and adolescents, actions to strengthen social bonds, and some principles that should guide the work in residential care. The third study described the social images attributed to the adolescent in institutional care, based on the neighborhood relationships reported by educators and adolescents. Five educators (four female and one male, aged 54 to 60 years) and five adolescents (four female and one male, aged 12 to 16) participated in this study. The main results suggested interaction between the host and the neighbors in service 1. In contrast, there was a difficulty in the interaction of the host and professionals with the context of the neighborhood in service 2 and service 3. The participants' expectation for social images of neighbors regarding adolescents was related to hazardousness and emerged from the direct or indirect experience between adolescents and neighbors. It was also found that professionals try to demystify the social images that neighbors present. As for educators, they presented social images objectified from the idea of family as a context of risk. Against this discourse, the social images that emerged from the adolescents' discourse were more positive (dedicated, respectful, intelligent, cute, cool). Finally, the social image was also suggested from the idea of the impact that the care service has on the removal of the family and the community of origin, in which the adolescent was described by the educators as deprived of immediate family care and spontaneous coexistence with the community. Finally, the fourth study aimed to describe the social images attributed to the adolescent in institutional care, but from the neighborhood relationship reported by residents neighboring the services. The study included 100 neighbors (adults and youth), male and female, from three childcare services in the metropolitan region of Belém-Pa, aged between 16 and 85 years (M = 41,5, SD = 17,1). Most were female (67%), single (66%), with high school (58%) and 72% had no contact with adolescents in institutional situation. The results indicated that for the institutionalized adolescents, the significantly higher averages predominated in negative valence attributes, such as: aggressive (M = 4.04), low self-esteem (M = 4,28), poor (M = 4,32). ), with problems (M = 4,68), frustrated (M = 4,22), insecure (M = 4,03), angry (M = 4,65), traumatized (M = 4,49), sad ( M = 4.31) and vulnerable (M = 4,57). It was found that the more positive the neighborhood relationship is described, the more positive the social images attributed to adolescents in this context tend to be. It was found that the more positive the neighborhood relationship is described, the more positive the social images attributed to adolescents in this context tend to be. The accomplishment of the four studies allowed to reach the objective of the thesis, from a broader approach of the phenomenon, allowing to gather theoretical arguments and empirical evidences for the understanding of the phenomenon of the social images and the community coexistence. In this sense, it is defended the thesis that the fragility of the relationship between the institutional care services and the neighborhood reinforces negative social images and makes the exercise of community coexistence difficult.