Young people in conflict with the law

a challenge for democracy and governance in Mexico

Abstract

This article analyzes the categories of violence, youth, and recidivism in young people in Mexico, within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN Agenda 2030. The focus is on goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, to approach from a conceptual theoretical framework that discusses the concepts of democracy and governance, aspects that are currently conceived as measurable mechanisms of political systems and government agendas. A reflective analysis is made on some indicators related to violence in Mexico, in the case of young people in conflict with the law and the weak strategy of the State to comprehensively address the situation of this group. With a methodology that includes an analysis of institutional surveys conducted in Mexico, the cross-referencing of information and content generated by Latinobarómetro, we show results that do not favor the schemes and discourses of democracy and effective governance for the care of young people in conflict with the law, but that are shown as an area of opportunity for local governments. We partially conclude by arguing about the need to strengthen the institutions in charge of imparting justice and about the role that citizens, businesses, organizations, and institutions have in the processes of social transformation.