Abstract

AREVALO CONTRERAS, Miguel Eduardo; DIAZ GONZALEZ MENDEZ, Carlos Alberto; TORRES ALMANZA, Ana Belén  and  LABRENZ, Catherine A.. Social desirability in interventions with young offenders. Rev. Mex. Sociol [online]. 2026, vol.88, n.2, pp.331-360.  Epub May 14, 2026. ISSN 2594-0651.  https://doi.org/10.22201/iis.01882503p.2025.62977.

This article is the result of a study aimed to analyze the complex system/environment dynamics in the governmental socio-educational intervention (sise) for justice-involved youth in Mexico City. A qualitative case study design was used, guided by conceptual categories in Niklas Luhmann’s social system’s theory. Information was collected through focus groups with professionals and interventionists and used a constant comparative content analysis to identify key themes. Results highlight complex system interactions among sise, such as the tension between socially desirable behavior and socially desirable discourse that is often interpreted as negative attributes among adolescents. Socially desirable behavior emerged largely in contexts related to socio-educational interventions, while socially desirable discourse emerged largely in judicial settings. Both represent a blind spot and are transversally crossed by the ideal/real distinction through which sise self-observes and reduces its own complexity. Through these processes, social desirability operates as a structure and condition through which socio-educational intervention is produced and communicated.

Keywords : socio-educational intervention; offending adolescents; juvenile delinquency; system/environment complexity; social systems theory; México.

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