Niñas, niños y adolescentes en conflicto con la ley penal: derechos, reparación y nuevas oportunidades

Abstract

The right to personal security and of material goods has been one of the foundations of the legal order, whose main objective is to promote order and harmonious relations among the members of society. Social order and legal order are closely linked, as is crime with the need for punishment. More and more children and adolescents carry out acts that harm other people, either directly attacking their well-being or their property. Damage generates discomfort and demands reparations for both parties. Debates around juvenile justice move between the discussed prison logic and restorative models. This problem must be observed from the perspective of the comprehensive protection of children and adolescents who, in most cases, do not come into contact with crime without first having had their rights violated. This being so, and from a perspective of rights, responses are required in accordance with the complexity of this issue.