This article aims to analyze changes in criminal policy aimed at decreasing juvenile crime. When violent crimes are committed by young people under the age of eighteen, the inflence of the media creates indignation, leading to a belief in punishment as the only alternative for curbing juvenile violence. A call thus arises to lower the age for criminal responsibility, currently set at eighteen, and subject young people to the penalties under common legislation. However, diffrential treatment for minors is a fundamental guarantee that embodies the principle of human dignity, expressed as the entrenchment clause, pursuant to Article 60, §4º, section iv. It is therefore subject to a Constitutional Amendment restricted to protection affrded to individuals during their psychological development process.