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RésuméSi les jeunes majeurs éprouvant de graves difficultés d’insertion sociale ont pu jusqu’ici bénéficier d’une mesure de protection judiciaire particulière ( pjm), cette mesure tend à disparaître aujourd’hui. L’article rend compte de façon détaillée des résultats d’une enquête lancée par la Direction de la protection judiciaire de la jeunesse sur l’usage de la pjm. Cette étude met en valeur l’importance et l’impact de la dégradation des relations familiales, que celle-ci soit liée à des antécédents de carence ou maltraitance familiale ou à des antécédents comportementaux du jeune lui-même. Étudier les pjm apparaît donc comme un bon moyen d’accéder aux problématiques familiales des jeunes adultes en grande difficulté d’insertion sociale.

Since 1974, when the legal majority in France was reduced to 18 years of age, 18 to 21 year olds have been able to benefit from a special legal protection measure ( pjm) that can be adopted by the juvenile magistrate when such young adults face difficulties in socialisation. This measure, that was restricted to young majors who most needed protection, is currently in a state of decline, thus reducing any assistance that can be offered to such young adults to the administrative protection that can be adopted by the presidents of departmental (general) councils. It is in this context that the youth offending services have launched an inquiry to determine those sections that benefited from the measure and for what reasons. Among young adults benefiting from pjm provisions, the statistical approach reveals six specific groups according to the type and scale of dysfunctions in family relations. In some cases, these dysfunctions stem from a history of familial neglect or maltreatment or to a previous record of behavioural disorders during childhood. Study of these cases provides a valuable insight into the family problems suffered by young adults facing severe difficulties in pursuing their socialisation process.