Suivant un double regard, socio-historique et monographique, cette thèse propose une sociologie de la profession d’éducateur de la Protection judiciaire de la jeunesse (PJJ), administration du ministère de la Justice chargée de l’exécution des décisions de justice prises à l’endroit des mineurs dits « placés sous main de justice », notamment des mineurs délinquants. Membres de la fonction publique d’État, les éducateurs de la PJJ constituent une « bureaucratie professionnelle » (Mintzberg, 1982), dont le mandat et les finalités de l’activité sont principalement liés au projet politique fondateur de son institution d’appartenance : participer à la construction et à l’épanouissement d’un modèle de justice au sein duquel la connaissance de la personnalité des justiciables est une condition même de leur éducation. À partir d’une réflexion sur les savoirs, principalement les savoirs issus des sciences du psychisme, qui ont permis de délimiter ce projet politique et d’en légitimer les reconfigurations, nous proposons un regard sur la genèse et l’actualité de cette profession, de fait « placée sous main de justice ». Dans une première partie d’ordre socio-historique, nous mettons en lumière les principales tensions – indissociablement savantes, administratives et juridiques – qui émanent de l’histoire du secteur public de la PJJ, autant qu’elles en structurent le fonctionnement. Dans une seconde partie d’ordre monographique, à partir de plusieurs terrains d’observation (centre de milieu ouvert, centre éducatif fermé, prisons pour mineurs), nous analysons ce que les éducateurs font de ces tensions, et comment ils leur donnent forme, en situation de travail. Cette double méthodologie nous permet, in fine, d’interroger les reconfigurations de la profession d’éducateur de la PJJ, tout en nous frayant un chemin, par le terrain, au cœur des principales transformations qui, en France, agitent la justice des mineurs. / Following a double socio-historical and monographicpoint of view, this thesis tackles a sociological study of the profession as educator working for the Judicial Protection of Youth (Protection judiciaire de la jeunesse, PJJ). PJJ is an administration of the French Ministry of Justice applying the decisions taken by the juvenile courts. Educators working for PJJ are members of the State Civil Service. The profession therefore forms a “professional bureaucracy” (Mintzberg, 1982), whose professional mandate and aims are related to the founding political project of PJJ: participating in the development of a model of justice, in which the knowledge on the personality of individuals is a condition of their education. Here, we present a study on the genesis and the evolution of this professional bureaucracy from an analysis of the knowledge, in particular psychological knowledge, which helped to define the founding political project of PJJ and to legitimize the changes of this political project. As a first step, we enlighten from a socio-historical perspective the main intellectual, administrative and legal tensions, that arise from the history of PJJ, and provide its operational framework. Secondly, we analyze from a monographic perspective how educators deal with these tensions in practice. We use for this analysis a suite of observational fields: one open and one close educational institutions, and two juvenile detention centers. Our double point of view allows us to question the reconfiguration of the profession of PJJ’s educator, and to provide a bottom-up framework (i.e. from the field) to analyze the main transformations of juvenile justice in France.

This thesis is aimed at the current issues of juvenile justice system, especially the educational measures. The center of attention is the youths responsibility for their illegal acts, alternative process and measures, which are set up against the delinquents. Statistics show how the criminality of young people appears at present and what sanctions are taken against them. The main focus is aimed at the educational measures, which are specific to the type of sanctions imposed on young delinquents. The practical part shows the description of sample cases, where educational measures were imposed on young people. In conclusion is a recommendation and some incentives how to improve the current situation in juvenile justice system.

Le droit de l'enfance délinquante est principalement régi par les dispositions de l'ordonnance du 2 février 1945 relative à l'enfance délinquante. La philosophie associée à la version initiale de cette ordonnance est le primat donné au relèvement éducatif du mineur, auteur d'infraction, plutôt qu'à la seule sanction de l'acte qu'il a commis. Cependant, celle-ci a été modifiée à de multiples reprises. En sus d'ébrécher l'esprit initial du texte de 1945, les nombreuses modifications législatives ont profondément altéré la lisibilité et la cohérence du droit pénal des mineurs. Avant de formuler des voies de réforme de ce droit, la thèse propose d'optimiser le cadre supralégislatif du droit de l'enfance délinquante. En effet, ses faiblesses en ont désactivé le rôle de garde-fou de sorte que le législateur a pu sans difficulté réagencer les principes initiaux de la justice pénale des mineurs / The French juvenile justice system isbased on a speciallawwhichwaswrittenin 1945. The first philosophy of thistextwas to protect and not onlypunish the juvenileoffenders. However, severalrecentlaws have changedthisphilosophy and the lisibility of the currentjuvenile justice system. Our thesis serve twopurposes. In one hand, wewant to demonstratethat the international and the constitutionalnorms about the juveniledeliquency have someweaknesseswhichexplain the current situation. We propose some solutions in order to reinforcethesesupremnorms. In the other hand, wepresentsome propositions and arguments about the future French juvenile justice system reform.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the self-concept of juvenile delinquents and to compare it with the self-concept of non-delinquent adolescents. The aspects of the self and their role in self-concept formation were outlined. Psychosocial and moral development were discussed, as well as factors that affect moral development. Juvenile delinquency was studied. Poverty and lack of parental care stood out as the main causes of juvenile delinquency. The South African juvenile justice system was also investigated. The Adolescent Self-concept Scale was administered to 20 delinquent and 20 nondelinquent adolescents. The results revealed that there is a significant difference between the self-concept of juvenile delinquents and that of non-delinquents. The delinquent group was found to have a low general self-concept. In order to determine how delinquent behaviour influences the self-concept and vice versa, one respondent from the delinquent group was randomly selected and an indepth study was carried out. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (with specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the self-concept of juvenile delinquents and to compare it with the self-concept of non-delinquent adolescents. The aspects of the self and their role in self-concept formation were outlined. Psychosocial and moral development were discussed, as well as factors that affect moral development. Juvenile delinquency was studied. Poverty and lack of parental care stood out as the main causes of juvenile delinquency. The South African juvenile justice system was also investigated. The Adolescent Self-concept Scale was administered to 20 delinquent and 20 nondelinquent adolescents. The results revealed that there is a significant difference between the self-concept of juvenile delinquents and that of non-delinquents. The delinquent group was found to have a low general self-concept. In order to determine how delinquent behaviour influences the self-concept and vice versa, one respondent from the delinquent group was randomly selected and an indepth study was carried out. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (with specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

"It is the responsibility of every government to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of its citizenry and to ensure that the rule of law and justice prevails at all times. Hovewer, children accused of committing crimes are more susceptible to human rights abuses and violations of their legal rights while in detention, either in police cells, prisons or authorised detention centres. They mostly suffer from both the agents of the state as well as from inmates. These violations often take place [behind] closed doors, and society being primarily concerned with keeping offenders locked up rather than about their conditions and human rights being respected, the cries of these children to be treated with dignity and worth go unnoticed despite the constitutional and international guarantee of their rights. The problem therefore is first to examine what rights do children in trouble with the law have under international law in general and specifically within the African human rights sytem with special emphasiis on the rights of children deprived of their liberty. Secondly, to examine how these international instruments are given effect domestically and whether there are challenges encountered in realising these rights. These are the main issues that this research intends to grapple with using South Africa and the Gambia as case studies with a view to making recommendations for better protection of the rights of this category of children. ... This research consist of four chapters. The first chapter is the introduction. It will give the basis and structure of the research which will include a general overview of the problem in the two countries under study. In the second chapter, it will explore the relevant international and African normative framework that protects the rights of children in trouble with the law and the obligations of states towards these children. However, the main focus will be the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC), because they are the two main human rights instruments providing specific protection for children's rights in all spheres. The third chapter will be a comparative analysis of the rights of children deprived of their liberty as provided in the municipal laws of South African and the Gambia vis a vis the minimum standards set [out] in the CRC and ACRWC. It will discuss the following issues, namely: defintion of a child, age of criminal responsibility, the best interest, detention as a last resort and for the shortest possible time, separation from adult detainees, role of parents, establishment of separate criminal procedures, right to legal respresentation and assistance, and sentencing options. It will also examine the problems and challenges for implementation. The fourth chapter will conclude and make recommendations on how best to implement the laws and who should be the role players in ensuring that the rights of these children are well protected." -- Introduction. / Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa)) -- University of Pretoria, 2005. / Prepared under the supervision of Professor Gilles Cistac at the Faculty of Law, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mocambique / http://www.chr.up.ac.za/academic_pro/llm1/dissertations.html / Centre for Human Rights / LLM

MA (Youth Development) / Institute of Gender and Youth Studies / See the attached abstract below

Although studies examining juvenile recidivism have focused primarily on violent recidivism, the factors that predict recidivism likely differ by offense type. To examine general, property, and violent recidivism, this study combined individual-level data (i.e., offender and case characteristics) from the Mississippi Youth Court Information Data System (MYCIDS) for the years 2009-2011 and contextual-level data (i.e., county characteristics) from the 2010 U.S. Census and the 2010 Uniform Crime Reports (UCR). Results showed that offender characteristics predicted only general and property recidivism, but case characteristics mattered for all three types (i.e., general, violent, and property recidivism). Contextual characteristics (i.e., the percentage of the population that is male aged 15 to 24) also mattered, but only for property recidivism. These findings have implications for policies and programs related to the treatment of juvenile offenders.

[pt] A presente tese apresenta uma análise do Sistema de Justiça Juvenil brasileiro, com foco nos aminhos percorridos pelos adolescentes na fase de apuração do ato considerado infracional. A pesquisa foi construída com uma abordagem qualitativa e fundamentou-se no materialismo histórico-dialético, com base nos estudos da criminologia crítica. Foram utilizadas como fontes de investigação: observação participante; análise de relatórios técnicos sobre as unidades socioeducativas de acautelamento, elaborados pela equipe técnica de Serviço Social do Ministério Público do RJ e entrevista com profissional do Sistema Socioeducativo do DEGASE. O objetivo geral da pesquisa é analisar o Sistema de Justiça Juvenil, a fim de compreender como o funcionamento, condições de atendimentos, rotinas, fluxos, decisões e demais ações são operacionalizados pelos órgãos do Sistema de Justiça Juvenil, à luz dos instrumentos normativos vigentes. Os resultados demonstraram como o Estado, mesmo com o avanço dos instrumentos normativos de proteção à infância e juventude, criminaliza os adolescentes mais pobres e impõe uma seletividade punitiva racializada para absorvê-los no Sistema de Justiça Juvenil. Uma vez inseridos nas engrenagens do sistema, foi possível constatar a dimensão da violência institucional que atravessa todos os caminhos da apreensão, internação provisória, até a realização das audiências - período em que ainda estão sob a garantia constitucional de presunção de inocência. Nesses casos, opera-se uma punição antecipada de uma infração ainda não julgada, que se naturaliza no cotidiano dos órgãos que compõem esse sistema e se materializa em um cenário de violação de direitos individuais e coletivos, que reforça o processo de desumanização e a banalização de suas vidas. / [en] This Thesis presents an analysis of the Brazilian Juvenile Justice System, focusing on the paths taken by teenagers in the investigation phase of the act considered infraction. The research was built with a qualitative approach and was based on historical-dialectical materialism, based on critical criminology studies. The following research sources were used: participant observation; analysis of technical reports on the socio-educational precautionary units, prepared by the technical team of Social Service of the Public Ministry of RJ and interview with a professional from the Socio-educational System of DEGASE. The general objective of the research is to analyze the Juvenile Justice System, to understand how the functioning, conditions of services, routines, flows, decisions, and other actions are operated by the Juvenile Justice System bodies, in the light of the normative instruments in force. The results showed how the State, even with the advance of normative instruments to protect children and youth, criminalizes the poorest adolescents and imposes a racialized punitive selectivity to absorb them in the Juvenile Justice System. Once inserted into the gears of the system, it was possible to verify the dimension of institutional violence that crosses all paths from apprehension, provisional internment, until the holding of hearings - a period in which they are still under the constitutional guarantee of presumption of innocence. In these cases, there is an early punishment of an infraction not yet judged, which is naturalized in the daily life of the bodies that make up this system and materializes in a scenario of violation of individual and collective rights, which reinforces the process of dehumanization and the trivialization of their lives.

Varje år är tusentals barn och unga placerade enligt LVU. Bland dessa unga har tidigare studier visat på att ett flertal flickor omhändertas på felaktiga grunder, främst utifrån deras sexuella beteende. Denna studie har genom en granskning av 39 domar sökt efter likheter och olikheter i hur flickor och pojkars eget beteende beskrivs och bedöms utifrån 3 § LVU. Domarna har granskats med hjälp av metoderna textanalys samt kvalitativ innehållsanalys som har visat på att det finns likheter och skillnader i hur flickor och pojkar bedöms. Med hjälp av teorin om genus- och maktstrukturer, med tillhörande begrepp som dikotomin och genuskontrakt, har omhändertaganden enligt 3 § LVU analyserats. Flickors sexualitet nämns i ett flertal domar, dock endast i en pojkes, då utifrån att han riskerar att utsätta andra för sexuella övergrepp. I flickornas domar beskrivs att de blivit utsatta för övergrepp och att det därmed finns en risk för att de i framtiden kan komma att utsättas igen. Utöver detta har studien visat på att flickor bedöms fara mer illa än pojkar trots att de enligt beskrivningarna i domarna har liknande svårigheter. Flickor som använt beroendeframkallande medel bedöms oftare ha ett missbruk än pojkar. Pojkarna däremot beskrivs många gånger som en fara för andra medan flickorna beskrivs som en fara för sig själv. Studiens slutsatser är att genus- och maktstrukturer inverkar på hur flickor och pojkars eget beteende beskrivs och att detta sedan påverkar domsluten i 3 § LVU. Slutsatsen är att domstolens bedömning och domslut många gånger kopplas till vilket kön den unge är av och därmed är inte rättssystemet könsneutrala i sina bedömningar och beslut.