Era uma vez a Instituição onde eu vivi: Narrativas de adultos sobre experiências de institucionalização

Abstract

This study aimed to achieve a better understanding on the life-experiences of adults with experience in institutional care in childhood and/or adolescence, into two distinct cases: i) internment in a institution for child victims of violence and ii) detention in a young offenders’ institution, after being found guilty of a crime. This study is based on the narrations of fourteen interviewees, focusing on what they perceived as positive and negative aspects of this experience, their experiences while institutionalized, as well as their suggestions in order to improve the quality of these services. The results tend to show that institutionalization has positive and negative aspects that have been clearly identified by the participants of our study.