WHO AM I, OR WHO WILL I BE, OUTSIDE OF CARE?

Outdoor picnic in a Bagé public square for the extension project activities.

Set up an outdoor gathering space in Bagé for the Extension Project activities, creating a welcoming environment.

"Emotions Freeze" activity and shared snack during the extension project.

A welcoming moment with a shared snack, paired with the "Emotions Freeze" dynamic and colored cards for exploring feelings and emotions.

Board of the "City of Life" educational game used in psychology activities.

The interactive "City of Life" board game, created to simulate choices and paths toward autonomy, part of the Extension Project activities.

"You Are So Much More" keepsakes

Handmade keepsakes crafted to strengthen the girls’ self-esteem with encouraging, supportive messages.

"Where to Study in Bagé" informational material.

An educational guide detailing study opportunities, technical courses, and scholarships at institutions in Bagé.

01 / Introduction and Context

Casa da Menina is an institution focused on the care of children and adolescents in situations of vulnerability or violence. Childhood and adolescence are stages marked by profound social, physical, and emotional change, and actions that put this population at risk can cause harm that carries into adulthood and becomes embedded in how they relate to others. For these girls, this process unfolds in a particularly complex way, shaped by life circumstances marked by experiences of abandonment or violence that leave them carrying insecurity and difficulty adapting (Santos; Peixoto, 2023).

In this context, it is essential to understand how these experiences negatively affect the development of the girls in care. According to Bowlby (1989), the absence or fragility of secure emotional bonds can compromise emotional development, affecting self-esteem, trust, and the capacity to form new relationships. This makes it necessary to raise awareness of how important this topic is, given the fundamental role the institution plays at this stage. This work therefore seeks to contribute to effective, humanized practices aimed at these girls’ safe reintegration into contemporary society.

1.1 Topic: Who am I, or who will I be, outside of care? The challenges of social reintegration for institutionalized adolescent girls.

1.2 / Problem

02 / Rationale

Carrying out this project is essential to improving interpersonal interaction, body expression, and communication for all the young women at the care institution. It is also essential to raise awareness among people living in contexts of social vulnerability, enabling stronger self-esteem, autonomy, and a sense of belonging. The project also contributes to building healthy bonds, emotional development, and broader social skills, supporting inclusion and active participation in society.

It is worth noting that this project seeks not only to offer a space for listening and welcome, but also to promote meaningful change in the participants’ lives, encouraging agency, mutual respect, and the appreciation of their identities and potential.

03 / Project Objectives

3.1 General objective: To understand how institutionalized young people perceive their reintegration into society and express their feelings, expectations, and experiences on this subject.

• 1.Observe the perceptions and feelings of young women who have left the institution.
• 2.Analyze how adolescents at Casa da Menina interpersonally understand their social reintegration and outlook for the future.
• 3.Identify participants’ feelings and expectations about life outside institutional care.
• 4.Use a board game as a playful tool for expression and support.
• 5.Understand how each girl expects to face her experiences after leaving institutional care.
• 6.Identify the emotional challenges girls face after leaving institutional care.

04 / Theoretical Framework

Institutional care policy in Brazil is grounded in the Child and Adolescent Statute (ECA), which establishes institutional care as a provisional, exceptional protective measure, guaranteeing the right to family and community life. Recent studies show, however, that despite its protective nature, institutional care can affect the psychosocial development of children and adolescents, particularly regarding the formation of emotional bonds, the development of autonomy, and a sense of social belonging. Institutional life, while essential in situations of vulnerability and rights violations, can significantly shape interpersonal relationships and reintegration processes, making emotional and social support during care — and during the transition to adulthood — even more relevant (Assis; Farias, 2013; Cassarino-Perez; Montserrat; Sarriera, 2020).

Adolescence is a central period for identity formation and life planning. Under Erikson’s (1976) psychosocial theory, this is the stage of identity consolidation, in which experimenting with social roles is essential. Although a classic author, his theory remains widely used. More recent research adds that adolescents in institutional care face additional challenges in this process, such as histories of neglect, family rupture, and social stigma — factors that can compromise their outlook for the future (Dell'Aglio; Hutz, 2004; Gulassa, 2021).

In the field of Social Psychology, understanding these adolescents’ perceptions can be deepened through the concept of social representations proposed by Moscovici (2003). While a classic theoretical foundation, contemporary studies have drawn on it to understand how young people in vulnerable contexts construct meaning about themselves, society, and the future (Jodelet, 2018; Sá, 2020).

The transition to adulthood, particularly institutional discharge at age 18, is identified as one of the most critical moments for adolescents in care. Recent research shows this process often unfolds without adequate support, generating insecurity, difficulty with social reintegration, and a risk of socioeconomic vulnerability (Paula; Dell'Aglio, 2020; Fernandes et al., 2022). The absence of effective public policy for post-care follow-up worsens this picture.

A relationship with school also plays a key role in these adolescents’ development. Vygotsky’s (1991) sociocultural perspective, though classic, underscores the importance of social interaction in the learning process. Current studies reinforce that school can act as a protective factor, but can also reproduce exclusion, especially when it fails to account for the specific circumstances of students in institutional care (Souza; Brito, 2015; Martins; Oliveira; Marchão, 2023).

Entry into the job market and first work experiences are also significant challenges. Young people leaving care institutions frequently face difficulties related to low professional qualification, restricted access to opportunity, and fragile support networks (Silva, 2022). These factors directly shape the autonomy and life plans of these individuals.

Given this context, the importance of spaces for qualified listening and psychosocial intervention becomes clear — spaces that strengthen autonomy, self-esteem, and the ability to build future plans. This extension project seeks to understand how girls in institutional care perceive their reintegration into society, their expectations for the future, and the challenges they face in the transition to adulthood, contributing to more sensitive, context-aware practice in the field of Psychology.

05 / Methodology and Practical Approach

This study takes a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive approach, aiming to understand how children and adolescents in institutional care perceive themselves, their experiences, and the social context they are part of. The qualitative approach was chosen because it allows for understanding the experiences, feelings, and meanings the participants themselves attribute to their life context.

The research was carried out at Casa da Menina, an institution located in the municipality of Bagé, Rio Grande do Sul. Participants were female children and adolescents up to age 17 in care at the institution, taking part on a voluntary basis. The number of participants was not predefined and varied according to availability and turnout at each intervention, respecting the ethical principles of research with human subjects.

Data collection took place through a socio-educational intervention based on direct interaction with participants. It began with a moment of welcome and integration, using a light-touch activity meant to build rapport and create a safe, welcoming, trustworthy environment.

Throughout the project, open-ended questions were posed about participants’ experiences, feelings, social relationships, self-perception, and their sense of place in society. Their responses and interactions were recorded for later analysis, allowing us to understand their forms of expression, communication, and perception of their own trajectories.

Data was recorded through field-diary notes, drawing on participant observation during the activities. Data analysis relied on content analysis, seeking to identify recurring patterns, meanings, and perceptions in the participants’ accounts.

Ethical research standards were followed throughout, guaranteeing participants’ anonymity, confidentiality of information, the right to decline or withdraw participation at any time, and attention to their emotional wellbeing throughout the intervention.

06 / Execution Timeline

07 / Expected Results

We expect this project to strengthen the self-esteem, autonomy, and expressive capacity of the adolescents in care at Casa da Menina. We also aim to provide a space for listening and welcome, encouraging reflection on social reintegration, life plans, and the participants’ outlook for the future. We further expect that using the board game, Emotions Freeze, Who Am I of Feelings, and other playful tools will make it easier for the adolescents to communicate and express emotion.

08 / Final Considerations

Carrying out this Integrative Project at Casa da Menina made it possible to apply the knowledge gained over the semester, providing an initial approach to professional practice. The activities focused mainly on building a welcoming environment through games and play, supporting self-knowledge, promoting autonomy, and providing access to information about learning opportunities and future paths.

Over the course of the sessions, we observed the girls’ engagement with the proposed activities, though we also identified initial difficulties with expression. The games and dynamics created moments of inclusion and reflection on who they are and who they want to be in the future, aiming to show the girls in care their opportunities and rights once they leave. The visits also helped us understand the importance of care homes that prioritize the personal, emotional, and social development of institutionalized children and adolescents.

This project therefore contributed both academically and humanly, allowing engagement with different realities within the institution and reinforcing the importance of listening and access to information. Its objectives were achieved through building a welcoming, inclusive environment for the participants and for the group, in the form of learning and knowledge built through the experiences created over the course of the work.

09 / References