The concept of the difficult adolescentenables us to escape from the nosographic trap of attributing the causes of violence solely to the one who commits it. Considering the question of the bond offers the possibility for a complex critical analysis of environmental factors, especially institutional ones, that contribute to violence. By discounting the relational, institutional administrations contribute to the reification of the subject, making both the public and professionals more vulnerable. As secret accomplices to violence, institutions reap what they sow.

Adolescence, 2019, 37, 2, 439-451.