The purpose of this thesis is to discuss how participation rights are expressed in the daily life of adolescents in institutional care. We investigated, from their perspectives, if there were spaces and possibilities of participation and how participation occurrd in the decisions that involve them in their daily routines and dynamics. This study has as starting point the paradigm shift on the conception of childhood based on the doctrine of Integral Protection to the Child and the Adolescent, through the promulgation of the Federal Constitution of 1988 and of the Statute of the Child and the Adolescent of 1990. Qualitative research (,) took place in three institutions of reception in the municipality of Duque de Caxias, in Rio de Janeiro. Data collection was performed through participant observation and semi - structured interviews with 16 adolescents from these institutions, prioritizing their narratives. The data showed that adolescents are poorly informed and heard in their daily lives. Actions are planned over their lives without their effective participation. For the most part, they were unaware of basic information about their destiny, for example, what institution they would go to, the actual length of stay in this situation and what would happen to them. The fact that they lived in institutions for so long resulted in feelings of fear towards the external world. On the other hand, we observe that, even within institutional dynamics, defined by adults, and assuming a level that is much more consultative than effective participation, listening has occurred as they organized some routines and in some aspects related to their Legal situations. However, effective participation, in which they can directly influence negotiation and decision-making, remains a challenge.