Within the framework of an educative mission in specialized prevention, the authors try to shed light on the movements elicited when supporting “unwelcome” children in their journey through adolescence. Between rearrangements and repetition compulsion, these cases draw us towards the realms of the archaic, but a way out can be found with help from a “helpful other” participating in “culture work”, in order to re-establish a bond with humanity.

Adolescence, 2023, 41, 1, 247-258.