Nowadays, using social punishment for the actions in conflict with law committed by children and adolescents - which are mainly due to poverty, parents' divorce, lack of proper rearing and so on and proven ineffective criminal penalties given the results of their application - is absolutely certain and necessary. The studies on the use of alternative measures have shown the fruition and effectiveness of these measures in deterring recurrence of crime, saving child and adolescent care costs in closed environments and preventing the negative effects of these environments. However, is has to be sated that the mere use of social services as a substitute for criminal penalties, disregarding the existence of the required contexts in community, has not only reduced its effectiveness, but also can end in adverse consequences.
