The tendency to deviant behavior of adolescent girls and boys raised in an orphanage

Gudovskii Igor' Vital'evich PhD in Pedagogy Head of the Department; Dean's Office; Siberian State University of Science and Technology named after Academician M.F. Reshetnev 82 Mira Street, Krasnoyarsk, Russia, 660049 igud@mail.ru Novopashina Larisa Aleksandrovna PhD in Psychology Associate Professor, Department of Human Resource Management, Siberian Federal University 79 Svobodny str., Krasnoyarsk, 660041, Russia novopashina_2024@mail.ru Other publications by this author     Nakonechnaya Ekaterina Vladimirovna PhD in Psychology Associate Professor; Department of Clinical Psychology and Pedagogy; Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky 1 Partizan Zheleznyak str., Krasnoyarsk, 660022, Russia m2735582@yandex.ru Polomoshnova Anna Valentinovna Assistant Professor; Department of Developmental Psychology and Counseling; Siberian Federal University 660074, Russia, Krasnoyarsk, Borisova str., 1 polomoshnova@mail.ru

Ligaev Dmitrii Alekseevich Independent researcher 79 Svobodny str., Krasnoyarsk, 660041, Russia ligaev@mail.ru

Introduction. Adolescence refers to the crisis stages of age-related development and is traditionally considered the most difficult of all crises experienced by a person throughout his life. The main difficulty of the crisis of adolescence lies, first of all, in the fact that it is a period of growing up, which combines the child's need to experience a sense of adulthood, self-presentation among peers and objective limitations in the possibilities of expressing their adulthood, independence, uniqueness. The presence of such a contradiction often becomes the cause of adolescent deviant behavior – behavior that in any way deviates from the norm of human life in society. It can take many different forms, from violating generally accepted rules of interaction with other people to self–destructive and illegal ^{[1, 2]}.

The tendency to deviant behavior is formed under the influence of many factors, but its manifestations become most pronounced during periods of age crises, and especially in adolescence. At the same time, adolescents are most at risk of developing behavioral deviations if the most important social institution, the family, i.e. orphaned children, is not involved in their upbringing ^{[7, 14]}.

Psychological and pedagogical science has accumulated a solid experience of theoretical and empirical research on behavioral deviations in adolescence in general, and deviant behavior in adolescents raised in an orphanage, in particular, however, differences in deviant behavior in adolescents of different sexes still remain a poorly understood issue ^{[2, 4, 6]}. Together At the same time, one of the key principles of the modern system of psychological and pedagogical support for children and adolescents in the educational process is to take into account not only age, but also individual sexual characteristics ^{[5, 13, 16]}.

Like other social problems, the deviant behavior of orphaned teenagers in orphanages is determined by a number of closely related reasons. Untimely recognition of the nature and characteristics of deviant behavior in orphaned adolescents, the lack of special programs to correct deviant behavior lead not only to disruption of the process of their socialization, but also to a chronic lag in the assimilation of school knowledge, as well as to more tragic consequences (crime, suicide) ^{[3, 8, 9]}.

Review of scientific literature.

Numerous domestic and foreign studies in the field of psychology and pedagogy of deviant behavior are focused on "studying the personal characteristics of deviants, the problem of auto-identification, the interiorization of norms and values, and the development of methods for correcting individuals with various forms of deviant behavior" ^{[10, 11]}. The problems of deviant behavior are presented in the works of: Z. Bauman, K. Zeidelman, E. Durkheim, A. Cohen, T. Parsons, B.G. Ananyev, B.C. Afanasyev, S.A. Belicheva, N.P. Weizman, Ya.I. Gilinsky, N.S. Kurek, B.M. Levin, E.S. Menshikov, M.E. Pozdnyakova, M.G. Yaroshevsky, and others.

Considering the methodological foundations of the analysis of deviant behavior, we can say that within the framework of psychoanalytic theory, Freud associated deviations with mental disorders ^[17], as he considered the conflict between the unconscious and the conscious to be the main source of deviant behavior. Moreover, the former are based on sexual drives ^[17]. A similar idea was expressed by E. Erickson, emphasizing ego psychology, the influence of culture and society on personality formation ^[18]. A number of foreign authors, in particular E. Durkheim, R. Merton, N. Smelzer, and others, define deviance by conformity or non-conformity with social norms and expectations ^[18].

Modern foreign studies of adolescent deviant behavior focus on the study of its causes in the adolescent environment Jacobs J., Joossens L., Kilty K.M. ^{[19, 20, 21]}.

Among Russian scientists, M.V. Vorontsova analyzed the etymological meaning of deviation in the social sciences – this term refers to "behavior that violates norms and rules generally accepted in a given society (offenses, crime, alcoholism, drug addiction, etc.)" ^[1]. Analyzing psychological dictionaries, we can say that deviation is "actions that do not comply with officially established or actually established moral and legal norms in a given society (social group) and lead the violator (deviant) to isolation, treatment, correction or punishment" ^{[10, 11, 12]}.

Studying the mechanisms of deviant behavior formation, S.V. Knizhnikova says that modern deviantologists recognize the influence of biological, psychological, social, legal, and cultural factors on the formation of deviance.^[7]

According to S.O. Larionova, deviant behavior, including that of adolescents, is formed on the basis of violations of the integrity of the mental and spiritual spheres of human reality: rootlessness, hopelessness, unrealization, emptiness, mental trauma and psychogeny, domestic extremism and sectarianism ^[11]. From N.V. Gubina's point of view, an addictive behavior model is one of the psychological mechanisms of deviation formation ^[3].

Despite the differences in the life circumstances that led different children to orphanages, the system of psychological and pedagogical support for orphaned children in these institutions is uniform. The strategic goal of psychological and pedagogical work with orphaned children in orphanages is to create conditions for adapting each time stage of a child's life to the conditions of reality ^[12].

The specific living conditions in an orphanage determine the fact that the child is almost removed from social values and norms, and this makes it difficult for him to transfer socio-cultural experience. O.B. Koneva focuses on the fact that pupils experience a lack of socio-cultural experience throughout their later life ^[8].

Thus, psychological and pedagogical work with orphaned children raised in orphanages is carried out in stages, its strategic goal is to help pupils prepare for further independent life and successful socialization. Each stage of the work is designed to solve a specific task, and the methods and content of the work are determined depending on the type of institution, the time of admission and stay of each child, and the specifics of state social support for orphaned children in the region where the orphanage is located ^{[17, 18, 19]}. The specific conditions of the organization of the life activities of orphaned children in orphanages contribute to the formation of a number of personal characteristics in pupils that make it difficult to form a psychologically healthy personality capable of self-realization in a social space outside the familiar environment of a closed institution, and therefore it is obvious that the risk of deviant behavior among orphaned adolescents raised in orphanages is higher than in adolescents raised in families ^{[12, 15]}.

Methods and methodology.

The purpose of this article is to study the deviant behavior of adolescent orphans of different sexes who are raised in an orphanage.

The subject of the study is the tendency to deviant behavior in adolescents of different sexes who are brought up in an orphanage. To conduct the study, a sample of 40 adolescents aged 13-15 was formed, of which 20 were girls and 20 were boys. The sample was formed taking into account the maximum similarity of socio-demographic characteristics of adolescents and age. All participants in the study belong to the category of social orphans, i.e. orphans with living parents who were removed from socially disadvantaged families by guardianship and guardianship authorities in early childhood or early preschool age and subsequently, after court rulings depriving mothers and fathers of these children of parental rights, were sent to live and raise in an orphanage. the house. All adolescents included in the sample spent at least 10 years in an orphanage.

The study participants have no close or distant relatives who would be interested in the fate of orphaned children and would keep in touch with them. It follows from this that, firstly, these children have no experience of maintaining family ties and patterns of social and role relationships in the family, and, secondly, upon reaching adulthood, they will begin an independent life outside a closed institution without supervision and assistance from relatives. Accordingly, such conditions can be recognized as external risk factors for disrupting the socialization process, and, therefore, objectively existing, hypothetical predictors of various behavioral deviations.

Despite the presence of a history of alcoholism in one or both parents of all adolescents included in the sample, the children's physical health is satisfactory, and there are no chronic diseases that could be grounds for classifying them as children with disabilities.

Mental development corresponds to the age norm.

School performance is at an average level. This means that teenagers do not show significant and outstanding academic abilities, but they master the school curriculum in full, in accordance with the requirements of the Federal State Educational Standard of Basic General Education.

In addition to studying, teenagers are involved in various types of extracurricular activities, which they choose themselves based on their personal interests and preferences. The orphanage has well-developed physical culture, sports and creative extracurricular activities, many clubs and sections for sports, artistic and literary creativity, club associations of journalists, environmentalists, novice programmers and others.

Standardized psychodiagnostic techniques were selected as tools for conducting the study, meeting the objectives of the study and the age of the study participants.:

- methodology for diagnosing the tendency to deviant behavior (SOP) A.N. Orel;

- diagnostic questionnaire to identify the propensity for various forms of deviant behavior "DAP-P".

The present study provides for a comparative analysis of empirical data demonstrating the propensity for various types of behavioral deviations in female and male adolescents. Therefore, to determine the validity and significance of the differences that will be identified during the study, it is necessary to use the Student's statistical t-test.

Psychological testing was carried out individually on weekends, when the possible impact on the results of the examination of educational loads is excluded, and the time for the examination is not limited to study-related and extracurricular activities regime moments.

Research. We will begin to review the results of the conducted research with empirical data obtained using the SOP methodology by A.N. Orel.

The average group test results for the sample of subjects are shown in Table 1.

According to table 1, there are no girls in the sample whose test results could be considered unreliable. The indicators on the service scale of social desirability correspond to the normative values, which indicates the sincerity of the responses of teenage girls, their lack of desire to choose answers that do not correspond to reality.

Table 1. The results of the study using the SOP methodology by A.N. Orel

Based on the data in Table 1, we will construct an average group profile of the severity of propensity to various forms of deviant behavior in a sample of adolescent girls (Fig. 1).

Figure 1. The average group profile of the severity of the tendency to deviant behavior in a sample of girls (the SOP method by A.N. Orel)

As can be seen from Figure 1, the average group empirical value on the scale of "Overcoming norms and rules" is at the threshold level – between moderate conformity and nonconformity. Such an indicator may indicate that girls have a desire to contrast their own norms and values with group ones, while at the same time having the ability to follow established group norms and rules in situations where this is necessary.

Girls tend to follow the established rules, and, on the other hand, the specifics of adolescence make their own adjustments to the normality of behavior. In addition, the tendency to violate the general order and establish their own rules may be the result of environmental factors – the special living conditions of girls in a closed-type institution, characterized by strict regulation and an almost complete lack of personal space.

The average group indicator on the scale of "Addictive behavior" in the sample of girls corresponds to the norm. Teenage girls are not prone to substance abuse in order to escape from reality and choose a compensatory and illusory way of solving personal problems. It should be noted that the specific living conditions of adolescents in an orphanage can act as one of the factors in the girls' lack of desire to use psychoactive substances. In this case, we are talking about continuous social control of behavior, about the objective limitation of opportunities for the use of alcohol, drugs and other psychoactive substances.

Empirical data on the scale of propensity to self-harm and self-destructive behavior also do not exceed the normative indicators, which indicates the absence of auto-aggressive tendencies in the behavior of adolescent girls.

Values on the scale of "Aggression and violence", on the contrary, exceed the norm, although they do not exceed the limits of a moderate aggressive personality orientation in relationships with other people. Hormonal changes in the body that occur during adolescence can cause increased aggressiveness in girls, and the lack of opportunities to meet the need for autonomy in an orphanage may increase the tendency to aggression as a protective mechanism.

The average group values on the scale of volitional control correspond to the norm. This means that teenage girls have a fairly well-developed ability to control the behavioral manifestations of their emotional reactions.

The empirical value on the scale of propensity for delinquent behavior is also within the normal range. This indicates that teenage girls lack the desire to achieve their goals and meet their needs by committing illegal acts. In this case, just as in the case of addictive behavior, there may be an influence of environmental features of life activity – the presence of continuous social control.

Thus, according to the data obtained using the SOP methodology by A.N. Orel, it can be concluded that the range of manifestations of a tendency to deviant behavior in the sample of adolescent girls does not differ in breadth and diversity. Of all the diagnosed forms of deviant behavior, girls showed a tendency to only two of them – to overcome norms and rules and to aggressive behavior.

Let's consider the results of testing using the SOP method by A.N. Orel in a sample of adolescent boys.

In the sample of adolescent boys, as well as in the sample of adolescent girls, there is no tendency to demonstrate socially desirable behavior.

When considering the data in Table 1, attention is immediately drawn to the presence of a larger number of average group values that exceed the norm, from which it can be concluded that there is a wider range of manifestations of a tendency to deviant behavior in adolescent boys compared with girls.

Based on the data in Table 1, we will construct an average group profile of the severity of propensity for various forms of deviant behavior in a sample of adolescent boys (Fig. 2).

As can be seen from Figure 2, the average group value on the scale of overcoming norms and rules significantly exceeds the normative indicator, which is evidence of a pronounced tendency for boys to manifest nonconformism, protest against established norms and rules, and corresponds to the age and environmental conditions of their lives.

The main danger of a pronounced desire for nonconformism among boys lies in the possibility of a fierce struggle for leadership, the formation of warring factions within a group of teenagers.

Figure 2. The average group profile of the severity of the tendency to deviant behavior in a sample of boys (the SOP method by A.N. Orel)

The tendency to addictive behavior in the sample of boys is manifested within the normative limits, which can be regarded as a feature of the impact of environmental conditions of life on them – a high level of social control and limited opportunities for the acquisition and use of psychoactive substances. In addition, the absence of a pronounced need for the use of psychoactive substances in boys, as well as in girls, may indicate the effectiveness of the activities of the orphanage's teaching staff in the prevention of addictive behavior.

The average group values on the scale of self-harming and self-destructive behavior in the sample of boys indicate that they have a tendency to risk, a pronounced need for thrills.

Boys also have high average group values on the scale of propensity for aggressive behavior. They indicate an aggressive personality orientation in relationships with other people, a tendency to solve problems through violence, and a tendency to use humiliation of a communication partner as a means of stabilizing self-esteem.

At the same time, the average group values on the scale of volitional control correspond to the norm. This means that adolescent boys have a fairly well-developed ability to control the behavioral manifestations of their emotional reactions. The external inconsistency of the combination of volitional control with pronounced tendencies to protest against generally accepted norms and rules, aggression and violence can be regarded as a manifestation of the environmental conditions of adolescent boys, namely, the presence in the orphanage of a well-established system of rewards and punishments, which stimulates adolescents to exercise volitional control over their own behavior in the external plan.

The empirical value on the scale of propensity to delinquent behavior is also outside the norm. This indicates that teenage boys are ready to achieve their goals and meet their needs by committing illegal acts.

Thus, a tendency to overcome norms and rules, self-destructive behavior, aggression and violence, and delinquent behavior were found in the sample of adolescent boys.

Based on the number of identified deviant behavioral tendencies, the first part of the hypothesis can be provisionally considered confirmed, since the variability of the forms of deviant behavior to which adolescent boys are prone is higher than that of adolescent girls.

Figure 3 shows comparative data on the SOP method by A.N. Orel in samples of girls and boys.

Figure 3. Comparative data on the severity of the tendency to deviant behavior in samples of girls and boys (the SOP method by A.N. Orel)

The information shown in Figure 3 indicates the presence of pronounced differences between the samples of girls and boys in terms of the severity of the propensity to overcome norms and rules, to self-destructive behavior, aggression and violence, to delinquent behavior.

To determine the degree of reliability and significance of the differences, empirical data according to the SOP method by A.N. Orel were statistically processed using the Student's t-test. The calculated data is presented in table 2.

Table 2. Results of the Student's t-test calculation for empirical data using the SOP method by A.N. Orel

Based on the data in Figure 3 and Table 2, it is possible to formulate a preliminary conclusion that the second part of the hypothesis can be considered valid – the degree of manifestation of a tendency to deviant behavior in general and its individual forms in adolescent boys is higher than in adolescent girls.

Let's consider the data obtained during the testing of adolescents using the "DAP-P" method. The proportion of adolescent girls by levels of manifestation of forms of deviant behavior diagnosed by the method is shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4. The share distribution of girls by levels of severity of the tendency to deviant behavior (the "DAP-P" method)

According to the data presented in Figure 4, there are no high rates of propensity to behavioral deviations in the sample of adolescent girls for any of the parameters diagnosed by the DAP-P method. The majority of the study participants have a low level of addiction and delinquent behavior, suicidal risk, and a tendency to deviant behavior in general. The results of this method are consistent with the data obtained using comparable scales of the SOP methodology by A.N. Orel.

The proportion of adolescent boys according to the levels of manifestation of forms of deviant behavior diagnosed by the "DAP-P" method is shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5. The share distribution of boys by levels of severity of the tendency to deviant behavior (the "DAP-P" method)

According to the data in Figure 5, the propensity to addictive behavior is weakly expressed in the sample of adolescent boys: in most boys it manifests itself at a low level, in others – at an average level. A high level of propensity for illegal behavior was found in 45% of adolescent boys. The fourth part of the sample of adolescent boys demonstrates a high level of suicide risk. A general tendency to behavioral deviations at a high level is manifested in 20% of adolescent boys. The results obtained are consistent with the data obtained using comparable scales of the SOP methodology by A.N. Orel.

Figure 6 shows the comparative data of the two samples using the "DAP-P" method.

Figure 6. Comparative data on the severity of the tendency to deviant behavior in samples of girls and boys (the "DAP-P" method)

As can be seen from Figure 6, the differences between the samples of girls and boys are most clearly manifested on the scales of propensity to delinquent behavior and suicidal risk, which ultimately affects the differences in the final distribution of adolescents of different sexes in terms of the severity of propensity to behavioral deviations in general (i.e., the integral indicator).

To determine the degree of reliability and significance of the differences, empirical data using the DAP-P method were statistically processed using the Student's t-test. The calculated data is presented in Table 3.

Table 3. Results of the Student's t-test calculation for empirical data using the "DAP-P" method

Based on the information presented in Figure 6 and Table 3, it can be concluded that the range of manifestations of propensity to various deviations in the sample of adolescent boys is wider than in the sample of adolescent girls, and the degree of manifestation of propensity to various forms of deviant behavior and deviant behavior in general is higher in boys than in girls. girls. Consequently, the results obtained using the "DAP-P" technique also confirm the hypothesis put forward.

Discussion of the results

As a result of the conducted research, it was found that the deviant behavior of orphaned adolescents raised in an orphanage has its own characteristics in boys and girls. In particular, the degree of manifestation of a tendency to deviant behavior in general and its individual forms in adolescent boys is higher than in adolescent girls, which correlates with the research results of Koneva O.B.^[8], Krimchak L.Yu.^[9].

In both samples of boys and girls, there is a tendency to oppose generally accepted norms and rules, and the desire to protest against these norms and rules is due to the age and environmental characteristics of adolescents raised in an orphanage, which also correlates with research data obtained earlier, conducted by Zavalikhina R.S. ^[4], Dvoyan Z.S. ^[6]. Nevertheless, it should be taken into account that despite the fact that this tendency is less pronounced in girls than in boys, measures to prevent adolescent deviant behavior are necessary for all groups of respondents, as indicated by D. I. Feldstein ^[16] and others.

The results of the study are also correlated with the results of foreign studies ^{[19, 20, 21]}, in which it was found that timely prevention of deviant behavior in adolescents based on research into the causes of its occurrence should be a constant, continuous process.

Conclusions. Thus, empirical data on the scale of propensity to self-harm and self-destructive behavior indicate the absence of auto-aggressive tendencies in the behavior of adolescent girls. The values on the scale of "aggression and violence" do not exceed the limits of a moderate aggressive personality orientation in relationships with other people. The average group values on the scale of volitional control and tendency to delinquent behavior correspond to the norm.

Of all the diagnosed forms of deviant behavior, girls showed a tendency to only two of them – to overcome norms and rules and to aggressive behavior.

In boys, the average group value on the scale of overcoming norms and rules significantly exceeds the normative indicator, which is evidence of a pronounced tendency for boys to manifest nonconformism, protest against established norms and rules, and corresponds to the age and environmental conditions of their lives.

The tendency to addictive behavior in the sample of boys is manifested within the normative limits. Boys, just like girls, do not have a pronounced need for the use of psychoactive substances.

The average group values on the scale of self-harming and self-destructive behavior in the sample of boys indicate that they have a tendency to risk, a pronounced need for thrills. High average group values were also found in boys on the scale of propensity to aggressive behavior. They indicate an aggressive personality orientation in relationships with other people, a tendency to solve problems through violence, and a tendency to use humiliation of a communication partner as a means of stabilizing self-esteem.

At the same time, the average group values on the scale of volitional control and on the scale of propensity to delinquent behavior correspond to the norm.

Thus, a tendency to overcome norms and rules, self-destructive behavior, aggression and violence, and delinquent behavior were found in the sample of adolescent boys.

The data obtained indicate the presence of pronounced differences between the samples of girls and boys in terms of the severity of the propensity to overcome norms and rules, to self-destructive behavior, aggression and violence, and delinquent behavior.

According to the data in the sample of adolescent girls, there are no high rates of propensity to behavioral deviations for any of the parameters diagnosed by the DAP-P method. The majority of the study participants have a low level of addiction and delinquent behavior, suicidal risk, and a tendency to deviant behavior in general. The results of this method are consistent with the data obtained using comparable scales of the SOP methodology by A.N. Orel.

In the sample of adolescent boys, the tendency to addictive behavior is weakly expressed: in most boys it manifests itself at a low level, in others – at an average level. A high level of propensity for illegal behavior was found in 45% of adolescent boys. The fourth part of the sample of adolescent boys demonstrates a high level of suicide risk. A general tendency to behavioral deviations at a high level is manifested in 20% of adolescent boys. The results obtained are consistent with the data obtained using comparable scales of the SOP methodology by A.N. Orel.

The differences between the samples of girls and boys are most clearly manifested on the scales of propensity to delinquent behavior and suicide risk, which ultimately affects the differences in the final distribution of adolescents of different sexes in terms of the severity of propensity to behavioral deviations in general.

Thus, the range of manifestations of propensity to various deviations in the sample of adolescent boys is wider than in the sample of adolescent girls, and the degree of manifestation of propensity to various forms of deviant behavior and deviant behavior in general is higher in boys than in girls.

Conclusion. Thus, based on the totality of empirical data, their comparative analysis and statistical processing, it can be concluded that the deviant behavior of orphaned adolescents raised in an orphanage really has its own specifics, which is manifested in the following:

- the degree of tendency to deviant behavior in general and its individual forms is higher in adolescent boys than in adolescent girls.

The study showed that in both samples there is a tendency to oppose generally accepted norms and rules, and, as mentioned above, the desire to protest against these norms and rules is due to the age and environmental characteristics of adolescents raised in an orphanage. Despite the fact that this trend is less pronounced in girls than in boys, measures to prevent deviant behavior are necessary for all participants in the study.

According to theoretical information about the patterns and peculiarities of adolescent development, interpersonal communication in the adolescent environment (primarily with peers) is based on the intertwining of two needs: separation and affiliation, that is, the need to belong to a group or community. Isolation manifests itself in autonomy from the control of elders, but it also works in relationships with peers – the need for social and spatial, territorial autonomy increases, and the unconscious need to communicate with friends increases. In addition, in adolescence, the desire to show their originality, unlike others, and the desire to stand out from the general mass of peers and adults is very pronounced, and to fulfill this need, adolescents often choose methods that do not belong to the socially approved category. This is due to the lack of formation of personal control, self-government, and self-awareness.

Based on the above, it can be concluded that in order to prevent protest behavior, it is necessary that adolescents have the opportunity to satisfy their need for acceptance by others, to earn the recognition and respect of their peers and adults. In other words, it is necessary to create conditions for teenagers to discover and realize their leadership potential in acceptable ways.