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Juvenile Justice in São Paulo, Brazil: Violence and Denied Opportunities

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Children’s Rights and International Development

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Abstract

Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world and the largest in the southern hemisphere. With a current population of about 186 million, of whom 33 percent are under 18 years of age (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística [IBGE], 2006b), it is the fifth most populated country in the world (IBGE, 2006a). Despite being a regional economic giant, Brazil is an extremely inequitable society, with the richest 10 percent of the population having a mean monthly income 16 times greater than the poorest 40 percent segment of the population (IBGE, 2006b). An estimated 54 million Brazilians live on less than US$2.00 a day, of whom 17 million subsist on less than US$1.00 a day (CIDA, 2005). These realities situate Brazil in fourth place among countries with the greatest inequality (Pearson Education Inc., 2006a).

We dedicate this chapter to the struggling boys and girls of FEBEM and to the memory of Dr. D. R. (Dan) Offord. Dan was one of the coinvestigators of this project who sadly passed away during the course of this study. Dan, a recipient of the Order of Canada, was a champion for creating opportunities for underprivileged children and was an inspiration and mentor to many. Thanks to the many youth and their parents who participated in this study and shared their personal experiences with us. Thanks also to the staff at Projeto Quixote to realize this study. Special thanks to the Canadian International Development Agency for funding this research.

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Authors
  1. John D. McLennan
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  2. Fatima D. Rigato
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  3. Isabel A. S. Bordin
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Editor information

Myriam Denov Richard Maclure Kathryn Campbell

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© 2011 Myriam Denov, Richard Maclure, and Kathryn Campbell

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McLennan, J.D., Rigato, F.D., Bordin, I.A.S. (2011). Juvenile Justice in São Paulo, Brazil: Violence and Denied Opportunities. In: Denov, M., Maclure, R., Campbell, K. (eds) Children’s Rights and International Development. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230119253_3

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