YOUNG OFFENDERS: A COMPARISON BETWEEN BRAZIL AND CANADA

• Autor(a) principal: Gallo, Alex Eduardo
• Data de Publicação: 2009
• Outros Autores: Williams, Lucia C. de Albuquerque
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Revista da Faculdade de Direito UFPR (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://revistas.ufpr.br/direito/article/view/7254
• topic: Criminal behavior; Young offenders; Multiculturalism; Ato infracional; Adolescente em conflito com a lei; Multiculturalismo

This study characterized 123 adolescents on probation and community services in amid-size Brazilian city compared to 100 adolescents referred for assessment in a reference centrelocated in a mid-size city in Canada, aiming at identifying possible correlations between observedvariables in a multicultural context. Data, in both countries, were collected in a survey design and majorresults were: 87.8% were male (71% in Canada), having an age average of 15.9 years (15.7 in Canada).In regards to crimes, theft was the most common one in Brazil (36.7%), followed by robbery (15.4%),and drug dealing (9%); in Canada sexual offenses were the most common offense (23%), followed byfail to comply with probation (20%), and assault (12%). In Brazil, 60.2% of adolescents did not go toschool, and 61.8% had only an elementary degree; in Canada all adolescents attended school and halfof the sample was in High School. In both Brazilian and Canadian samples the majority of youngsterslived with their mothers, in a single-parent family. Brazilian mother’s most common occupation washousemaid (28.4%), while Canadian mothers were factory workers (10.2%). The results suggest: a)Canadian culture determines sexual innuendos and grabbing buttocks as crimes and, thus sexualoffenses were most common in that country, in the whereas Brazilian culture these are not consideredas part of the justice system; b) Brazilian youth dropped out of school very early while Canadian schoolsoffered a variety of programs to avoid school evasion, as Special Education since the problem wasidentified, including behavior management programs for aggressive students, conflict resolution, anda curriculum guided directed to the country’s multi-ethnic background.