LAUSR

Abstract Objective This article is a theoretical reflection inspired by semiotic-cultural psychology that aims to analyze the socio-educational semiosphere with a focus on the beliefs of socio-educational agents about themselves, their work, and young transgressors. It assumes that understanding the controversies, contradictions and ambiguities present in human action requires identifying and understanding the system of personal and collective values that guide the agents. Method This is a qualitative study, that analyzed utterances constructed within the scope of an extension course in which Eight socio-educational agents participated, all from the same detention center in the Distrito Federal, Brazil. Results Through the analysis of the utterances, three themes were highlighted, which represent some of the semiotic fields in tension in the relationship between socio-educational agents and adolescents: 1) The identity of the socio-educational agent: educator and/or security agent; 2) Protective security versus body control; and 3) Symbolic and physical degradation of the adolescent. Conclusion It was identified that there is a predominance of work practices that are more committed to safety than to the education of adolescents. This understanding is based on the belief that adolescents are dangerous and should be contained, acculturated (assimilative intolerance), or even eliminated (eliminatory intolerance). Therefore, it is concluded that both forms of intolerance are part of a scope of symbolic violence that impedes adolescents to access the semiotic resources that would help them to re-signify their life trajectory, turning social-education uneffective.