LOWERING THE LEGAL AGE FOR CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY: A COSMETIC PSYCHO-AFFECTIVE ERASURE WITHIN THE SOCIAL ORGANIZATION

  • Diogo Fagundes Pereira Universidade Católica de Petrópolis
Keywords: Adolescence, Lowering the legal age, Privation and delinquency

Abstract

Current paper establishes a dialogue between the works of the British psychoanalyst D.W. Winnicott and the suggestion to lower the legal age for criminal responsibility. A review of the literature for the last fifteen years was undertaken on online databases, such as Scielo, Periódicos Capes, BvsPsi, with descriptors Psychology and Lowering legal age. Results reveal that most studies concentrate on legal perspectives, whilst publications involving Psychology indicate the psycho-social profile of the juvenile offender, the relationship between age and crime, lack of consent on the proposal of lowering legal age and the social media´s appeal on the link between lowering of age and decrease in violence. Current analysis demonstrates the emotional and affective aspects from Winnicott´s point of view which are usually not taken into account in overall analyses on crimes by juvenile offenders.

Author Biography

Diogo Fagundes Pereira, Universidade Católica de Petrópolis
Psicólogo, Pedagogo, Especialista em Neuropsicologia e Mestre em Psicologia. Coordenador Adjunto e Professor da Pós-Graduação em Avaliação Psicológica na Universidade Católica de Petrópolis.
Published
2017-03-01
Section
Artigos Originais