¿Castigar o reeducar? Debates parlamentarios, transformaciones jurídicas y legislación en torno al sistema de protección de menores. Chile, 1912-1968

This article addresses the parliamentary debates and laws on the child protection system between 1912-1968 in Chile. During this period, a normative and institutional framework was built to protect vulnerable childhood. The aim is to demonstrate the tensions between the punitive and rehabilitative approaches, which, with the lack of resources, would have prevented the making of a comprehensive and efficient child protection system. The punitive approach will prevail during the period studied, despite the discourses that indicate otherwise, because vulnerable children and adolescents were considered a danger to society.