Relevance of the Socio-Educational Approach to Sanctions Imposed on Adolescent Girls within the Juvenile Responsibility System

Abstract

Broadly speaking, this study examines the importance of the socio-educational approach in the enforcement of sanctions imposed on adolescent girls deprived of liberty within the Juvenile Criminal Responsibility System, in accordance with the Doctrine of Comprehensive Protection and international human rights standards. It argues that sanctions should prioritize rehabilitation, social reintegration, and holistic development, and moving beyond traditional punitive approaches. The analysis is grounded in instruments such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Organic Law for the Protection of Children and Adolescents (LOPNNA), the Bangkok Rules, the Beijing Rules, and the Riyadh Guidelines, which establish that deprivation of liberty must be exceptional, for the shortest possible time, and applied with a gender-sensitive approach, respect for human dignity, and the best interests of the adolescent. Through a qualitative, documentary, and hermeneutic methodology, normative frameworks and reports from organizations such as UNICEF, UNODC, and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) are interpreted, linking legal principles with their practical application. It concludes that sanctions with an educational and restorative function are more effective than retributive punishment, as they promote autonomy, responsibility, and the reconstruction of social bonds within a human rights-centered model of juvenile justice.