Maria João Leote de Carvalho is a post-doc researcher with a project funded by FCT (SFRH/BPD/116119/2016). Graduated in Education in 1986, obtained a Higher Specialized Studies Diploma in Education and Groups at Risk in 1999 (Lisbon Higher School of Education). At NOVA FCSH she completed a Master in Sociology (2003), and concluded a PhD in Sociology (2011). Her interest in sociological research has been built upon on her job as a teacher working with young offenders in a custodial institution for 16 years (1987-2003), and with children and youth at risk in social housing neighbourhoods’ State schools for 14 years (2003-2017), where she was coordinator for the TEIP (Territórios Educativos de Intervenção Prioritária) Program . Since 2014, she has been the Coordinator of the Research Team “Rights, Policy and Justice” at CICS.NOVA. She is one of the founders members of the Sections of Sociology of Law and Justice (2014) and Sociology of Childhood (2018) of the Portuguese Sociological Association (APS). She has represented Portugal at the European Council for Juvenile Justice - International Juvenile Justice Observatory (since 2009), and is member of the European Society of Criminology Thematic Working Group on Juvenile Justice (since 2017). Scientific Consultant at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (since 2007), and at the Child Poverty Group from the European Anti-Poverty Network-Portugal (since 2009). In June 2016, she was appointed as Counsellor to the National Council of the National Commission for the Promotion of the Rights and Protection of Children and Young People (CNPDPCJ), co-opted as a person of recognized merit in the area of childhood and youth at risk. She integrated the founding team of the ProChild CoLab Collaborative Laboratory Against Poverty and Social Exclusion (approved by the FCT in July 2018).

Research Interests:

At-Risk Children and Youth. Rights of the Child. Delinquency. Justice. Violence & Crime. Public Policies.

Main Projects:

• (desde 1 de setembro de 2017-…) Investigadora responsável do projeto Youth Offending in Juvenile and Penal Justice in Portugal (YO&JUST) /  Delinquência e Criminalidade Juvenis na Justiça Juvenil e Penal em Portugal (YO&JUST)”,  no âmbito de Bolsa Individual de Pós-Doutoramento da Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia-FCT (Refª SFRH/BDP/116119/2016);
• (2017) ProChild CoLab - Against Child Poverty and Social Exclusion aprovado pela Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia-FCT no âmbito do concurso de atribuição do título de Laboratório Colaborativo (CoLAB);
• (2016-2019) Expert at the International Advisory Group (IAG), Project “PROMISE: Promoting Youth Involvement and Social Engagement: Opportunities and challenges for 'conflicted' young people across Europe”(H2020-YOUNG-SOCIETY-2015/693221), EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Horizon 2020 - Research and Innovation Framework Programme, call ‘H2020- YOUNG-2014/15: The Young Generation in an Innovative, Inclusive and Sustainable Europe’. The project is developed by a consortium of 12 partners, from 10 countries, coordinated by the University of Manchester-UK. 36 months: 01 May 2016 – 30 April 2019. http://www.promise.manchester.ac.uk/en/people/international-advisory-group/;
• (2013-2014) Investigadora no projeto "Alternatives to Custody for Young Offenders - Developing Intensive and Remand Fostering Programmes", coordenado pela British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) como parceira do International Juvenile Justice Observatory, financiado pela European Commission, DG Justice, através do Daphne Programme (Grant Agreement JUST/2011/DAP/AG/3054). http://www.oijj.org/en/alternative-to-custody-results;
• (2006–2011) Investigadora responsável do projeto “Do Outro Lado da Cidade. Crianças, Socialização e Delinquência em Bairros de Realojamento”, com Bolsa Individual de Doutoramento da Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (SFRH/BD/43563/2008), entre 1/Outubro/2008 – 31/ Julho/2011.

• (2017) Duarte, V. & de Carvalho, M.J.L., 2017, "Female Delinquency in Portugal: What Girls Have to Say About Their Offending Behaviors", Gender Issues, Volume 34, Issue 3,  pp. 258–274, Springer US ISSN: 1098-092X (Print) 1936-4717 (Online), SCOPUS, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12147-017-9187-8;
• (2013) Carvalho, M.J.L., "Childhood, Urban Violence and Territory: Children’s Perceptions of Place and Violence in Public Housing Neighborhoods in Portugal", Children, Youth and Environments 23(1) University of Colorado, USA, pp. 124-154. Special Issue ‘Children, Violence, Youth and the Physical Environment’, organized by Kevin Lalor, Head of School of Social Sciences and Law, Dublin Institute of Technology. e-ISSN: 1546-2250 On-line version available at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7721/chilyoutenvi.23.1.0124 doi: 10.7721/chilyoutenvi.23.1.0124 (Web of Science, JSTOR);
• (2013) Carvalho, M.J.L., "Children’s perspectives on disorder and violence in urban neighbourhoods", Childhood – A Global Journal of Child Research, Norwegian Centre for Child Research, Noruega February 2013 vol. 20 nº. 1 98-114. Impact Factor: 1.046 Print ISSN: 0907-5682. Publicado online: eISSN: 1461-7013, first published on June 25, 2012: http://chd.sagepub.com/content/early/2012/06/20/097568212447236 Impact Factor: 1.100. Doi: 10.1177/0907568212447236 (Web of Science; SCOPUS);
• (2014) Carvalho, M.J.L., "Alternatives to Custody for Young Offenders. National report on Juvenile Justice Trends – Portugal", Research Report Project "Alternatives to Custody for Young Offenders – Developing Intensive and Remand Fostering Programmes", coordinated by the British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) with the International Juvenile Justice Observatory (IJJO) and financed by the European Commission DG Justice, through its Daphne Programme (Grant Agreement JUST/2011/DAP/AG/3054), 52 pgs, published at: http://www.oijj.org/sites/default/files/baaf_portugal1.pdf
• (2003) de Carvalho, M.J.L., Entre as Malhas do Desvio. Jovens, Espaços, Trajectórias e Delinquências, Oeiras, Celta Editora, 266 pp., edição patrocinada pelo Instituto de Reinserção Social no âmbito das comemorações dos 20 anos da criação da sua 1ª Lei Orgânica, primeiro volume da colecção Reinserção Social.