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The oppositional conduct of minors requires the judicial institution to reflect on its positioning in order to take into account the psychic dimension of the “acting out”. It seems appropriate for the judge to embody a “tripolar listening” marked by attention to the weaknesses of the minor, a willingness to value him or her, and a prohibiting limit. A systemic partnership and a continuity of intervention over time are equally essential elements. It is regrettable, however, that the penal reforms over the last fifteen years have simply reinforced the concern for repression to the detriment of other dimensions.