Sheltered adolescents' background of exposure to violence and distressful experiences.

Objectives: to analyze the exposure to violence and distressful experiences lived by adolescents in institutional shelters in the city of Rio de Janeiro (previous to their admittance).

Methods: a cross-sectional study carried out in public institutional shelter units, with a sample of 72 adolescents aged between 12 and 18 years. Data on sociodemographic aspects, family relationships and distressful experiences were obtained by means of the Parcours Amoureux des Jeunes instrument, validated for use in Brazil.