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Vínculo

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Abstract

VERZIGNASSE, Valéria C. P.  and  TERZIS, Antonios. Acting out in a teenagers group. Vínculo [online]. 2008, vol.5, n.2, pp. 129-149. ISSN 1806-2490.

The aim of the present study was to understand the acting out of a group of adolescents from the psychoanalytic point of view. The objective was to examine if the "diagnostics group" technique applied to adolescents is efficient enough to make them aware of acting out phenomena and if it may be used to provide the appropriate means to understand actings implemented into the group. The chosen method was "applied psychoanalysis" that aims at practical results. Six adolescents between 13 and 14 years old of both genders participated in the research and the "diagnostics group" technique was applied to ten 90‑minute meetings. Mathieu's (1967) "Contents Analysis" technique was adopted to analyze the collected data, which was then interpreted according to psychoanalytic and group-analytic references. The present study allowed us to understand acting out as a primitive process featuring archaic defense mechanisms, such as projection, dissociation, denial, disruption. In our group of adolescents, acting out occurred in two different ways, i.e., through communication and as an attack on group ties. As the meetings progressed, acting out decreased, which made us reflect on the importance of the group for those adolescents. We concluded that the group of adolescents acted on affective levels and that its members went through several situations of sensitization. Languages used were mainly symbolic, emotional, and marked by gestures. An atmosphere of cooperation between adolescents-colleagues was developed, which supported individual evolution. It was notable that the group technique applied to this research proved to be an efficient instrument to study the acting out of adolescents within the group.

Keywords : Passing to the act; Psychoanalysis; Adolescents; Groups; Actings.

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