Key Aspects of a Safe Lifestyle for Adolescents with Deviant Behavior

Rizhkov Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Director; ANKO SK PV 'Russian hero' 663090, Russia, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Divnogorsk, Embankment str., 7 ask.psy@mail.ru Other publications by this author

This article was previously published in Russian in the journal Pedagogy and Education, available at this link: https://nbpublish.com/ppmag/contents_2024.html.

Introduction

In modern society, adolescents are exposed to the adverse effects of society and the information environment, which are often aggressive; their values are distorted due to the imbalance between the expectations of adolescents and real-life activities. Social disadvantage leads to the deformation of the image of teenagers and the emergence of deviations, with which they try to change the world around them. The implementation of deviant behavior is becoming more and more spontaneous, without a stable motive and planning. Deviant behavior among adolescents manifests itself through the commission of offenses and crimes, aggressive actions, the use of alcohol and psychoactive substances, etc.

Both foreign and domestic researchers note the connection between destructive behavior and an individual's safe lifestyle: Meijer, A.M., Dekovich, M., Wissink, I., K.V. Androsik, A.O. Nikitina, A.A. Ulitin ^{[1, 2, 3, 4]}.

According to W. Axelrod, A.P. Alekseev, and I.Y. Alekseeva, educating children and adolescents about the value of a safe lifestyle at the present stage of society's development is essential to ensuring social security ^[5,6].

According to N. O. Maikova, a key aspect of educating people about the value of a safe lifestyle is understanding the importance of human life and the ability to withstand factors that threaten physical and moral health. The primary purpose of existence is to take care of life. This is expressed not only in a careful attitude toward one's life but also in preventing premature death and ensuring the continuation of other people's lives on Earth ^[7].

Consideration of the concepts of value, safety, lifestyle, and safe behavior reveals the essence of the value of a safe lifestyle.

Stereotypes of human behavior in society are analyzed in the context of their impact on health and lifestyle. R. A. Andrianova emphasizes that lifestyle is a key socio-pedagogical category reflecting ideas about an individual's specific way of life ^[8].

In psychology, the problem of lifestyle is considered in the relationship of personality with the environment. It is presented in the works of L. A. Akimova, B. G. Ananyev, and V. P. Serkin. In these works, the lifestyle is interpreted as the result of human interaction with the world around him, reflecting the specifics of the personality and its relationship with the social environment ^[9,10,11].

This paper analyzes the concept of a safe lifestyle by A. A. Razinov and V. V. Gafner through the prism of safe behavior. In their opinion, the most important elements of a safe lifestyle are formed ideas about what is considered safe behavior in accordance with norms and rules and the practical implementation of these norms in life. At the same time, the authors note that a safe lifestyle is reduced to compliance with social norms ^[12].

According to L. A. Sorokina, safe behavior is a complex set of actions a person performs due to exposure to certain factors. These actions are aimed at ensuring security in various areas of life. The author identifies several key components: risk assessment and forecasting, multiple measures to prevent dangerous situations, and accumulated experience interacting with potentially dangerous situations ^[13].

Safety is the main component of a safe lifestyle system.

In the scientific literature, security is understood as:

- a benefit that ensures a free and safe life (S. Syropoulos) ^[14];

- a variety of circumstances that ensure the protection of the individual (N.A. Lyz) ^[15].

- the absence of a threat or the presence of reliability (E. Eller, D. Frey, A.M. Mamytov) ^{[16, 17]}.

- a combination of internal and external factors contributing to the preservation of the individual, society, and the state's ability to sustainably function and progress (K. Crawford, D. Andersen-Rodgers, P. K. Gushchina, N. S. Efimova) ^{[18, 19]}.

- It is determined by satisfaction with the present moment, maintaining the possibility of achieving life goals, as well as protecting interests and values (V. G. Tylets, T. M. Krasnyanskaya, A. V. Nepomnyashchy, S. K. Roshchin, and V. A. Sosnin) ^{[20, 21, 22]}.

A study by A. Samundeeswari ^[23] confirms that a person's lifestyle plays a key role in shaping their life activities and social behavior. A definite connection exists between the appearance of deviant behavioral tendencies and lifestyle. Alcohol and drug use, as well as risky behavior, significantly affect the formation of destructive life patterns in adolescents and young people. The appearance of deviant habits is associated with the main focus of their lives.

Thus, a person's safe lifestyle is an individual behavior based on compliance with safety rules and reflecting their values and beliefs.

The importance of a safe lifestyle occupies a key position in the value system of a modern person. To achieve these goals, harmony between values and objectives is necessary. In various humanities fields, such as cultural studies, social psychology, philosophy, and others, the concept of "value" plays an important role. In sociology, T. Parsons presents values as beliefs based on which people regulate their behavior in society. He emphasizes that fundamental values should be integrated into the personality, are a source of motivation for human behavior, and act as a means of regulating personal behavior ^[24].

The semantic value of security in human life is expressed in the individual's spiritual development and questions of the meaning of existence. N. N. Trubnikov believed that our idea of death determines our way of life's spiritual and moral value. Losing the thirst for life and becoming aware of the irresistibility of death allows us to reconsider the value orientations that we accept and form in consciousness ^[25].

According to A.N. Sukhov, the value of "safe personal behavior" is based on such qualities as honesty, good manners, and nobility ^[26]. The value of "personal safety" is determined by its positive activity and responsibility.

The importance of a safe lifestyle lies in understanding behaviors based on individual characteristics that correspond to socio-cultural values, norms, and rules regarding a safe existence, depending on age. Realizing this lifestyle is necessary in normal conditions and situations requiring special attention.

Maintaining security in various areas of life is a key component of well-being. According to V.P. Zasypkin, this includes ensuring road safety, home safety, protection from fires, information and environmental safety, social and personal safety, considering man-made risks, national security, and compliance with the principles of a healthy lifestyle ^[27].

Thus, in our study, the value of a safe lifestyle is understood as a subjective attitude to safe behavior, reflecting socio-cultural values, norms, and rules concerning a safe existence that must be observed in various life situations.

Analyzing a safe lifestyle allows us to identify its value in the following components: cognitive, motivational, activity, and regulatory.

The cognitive aspect includes consolidating in the individual's consciousness the results of mastering knowledge about a safe lifestyle and methods of safe behavior.

The motivational component includes awareness of the importance of safety, safe behavior in the system of value orientations of adolescents, and their significance to the individual within the framework of their life. The focus on finding the meaning of the value of a "safe lifestyle" is carried out through active activity combining cognitive and personal aspects. The structure of motivation to study safe behavior in adolescents is dominated by internal positive motives; adolescents strive to gain knowledge related to safety in life situations and are aimed at practical development of skills and abilities of safe behavior in everyday life, including those necessary for adequate actions in risky situations.

The regulatory component characterizes the ability of adolescents to carry out emotional and volitional regulation of behavior, beliefs, intentions, self-control of emotions, thoughts, and behavior, make decisions in life situations, including risky ones, including in dangerous situations, as well as to reflect and evaluate their behavior in these situations to prevent them. L. F. Fatikhova refers to the mechanisms of volitional self-regulation as mechanisms regulating the safe behavior of a person: emotional attitude to dangerous situations, recognition of dangerous situations, and reaction to them ^[28]. According to I. V. Pantyuk, volitional self-regulation indicates the formed behavioral competencies of a safety culture and a healthy lifestyle ^[29].

The activity component involves the practical use of skills and abilities of safe behavior in dangerous life situations and the choice of the most rational way of safe behavior in a dangerous situation. According to S. A. Kuptsova, this is reflected through participation in practical activities and actions taken in life situations. Awareness of their activity in creating a safe living environment, taking purposeful actions in preventing dangerous situations, and reducing risks ^[30].

Organization and methods of research

To identify the features of the formation of the value of a safe lifestyle for adolescents with deviant behavior, an empirical study was organized based on the ANKO Sports Club of Patriotic Education "Russian Bogatyr" and the Secondary School of Divnogorsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory. The study involved 122 students in grades 7–9 aged 13–15 years, including 48 adolescents with deviant behavior registered in the school, in the juvenile affairs inspectorate, and 74 adolescents with homotypic behavior.

The methods of investigating the value of a safe lifestyle were testing, questionnaires, the survey method and the method of diagnosing situations, and methods of statistical data processing (2 - Pearson criterion).

The diagnosis of value was carried out following the developed components and indicators of the value of a safe lifestyle:

1. The cognitive component of the value of a safe lifestyle for adolescents:

- having an awareness of the methods of safe behavior.

2. The motivational component of the value of a safe lifestyle for adolescents:

- the importance of safety, a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, as well as life in the system of value orientations of adolescents;

- a kind of motivation that motivates a person to act and achieve their goals related to education and training in the field of safety for teenagers.

3. The regulatory component of the value of a safe lifestyle for adolescents:

- volitional self-regulation as a way to control your emotions, thoughts, and actions in risky situations and prevent them.

4. The activity component of the value of a safe lifestyle for adolescents:

- formation of safe behavior skills in different life situations in adolescents;

- personal experience of safe behavior in the daily activities of teenagers.

A special pedagogical test on "Fundamentals of Life Safety" was developed to determine the cognitive component of the value of a safe lifestyle for adolescents.

The test questions concerned knowledge about the dangers in the human-environment system, their sources, factors, methods of protection against them, and norms and rules of safe environmental behavior.

The structure of the test is presented in sections: "safety," "safe personality," "safe behavior," "personal safety," "public safety," and "healthy lifestyle." The test tasks present closed-type test tasks with a choice of one or more answer options, test tasks and in an open form, where you need to freely formulate an answer, test tasks that require you to build an order of actions by the algorithm of their application in actual dangerous situations.

The following methods were used to determine the motivational component of the value of a safe lifestyle for adolescents: "The Value Questionnaire (CO)" by Sh. Schwartz and the questionnaire "How do you feel about security training?" by R.M. Granovskaya and I.M. Nikolskaya.

A method for diagnosing situations was used to determine the activity component of the value of a safe lifestyle for adolescents, including 20 dangerous scenarios. The teenagers were offered situational tasks developed by L. A. Sorokina, including standard, modified, and non-standard situations. The teenagers were offered situational tasks developed by Sorokina, including standard, modified, and non-standard situations. The experiment aims to study adolescents' safety skills in various conditions, such as traffic, fire situations, criminal incidents, and the natural environment, as well as skills related to a healthy lifestyle. Teenagers need to choose safe behavior or indicate an algorithm of actions in the described dangerous situation. A questionnaire by Sorokina, "The degree of implementation of safe behavior in everyday life," was used to study the behavior of adolescents in the context of safety.

A test questionnaire of volitional self-regulation was used by A. V. Zverkov and E. V. Eidman to determine the regulatory component of the value of a safe lifestyle for adolescents.

The results of the study

As a result of our research, we obtained data on the structural components of the value of a safe lifestyle for adolescents with deviant behavior compared with adolescents with normotypic behavior.

Let's turn to the results of the study of the cognitive component of the value of a safe lifestyle for adolescents with deviant behavior.

The data obtained indicate that adolescents with deviant and normotypic behavior lack a pronounced level of knowledge about the dangers and safe lifestyles.

The majority of adolescents have a critical level of value of a safe lifestyle according to the cognitive criterion (45.8% of adolescents with deviant behavior and 44.6% of adolescents with normotypic behavior), adolescents do not recognize the main types of dangers arising in the human-environment system, their sources, factors and methods of protection against them, as well as norms and rules of safe behavior in the environment, about a safe and healthy lifestyle. 39.6% of adolescents with deviant behavior and 37.8% with normotypic behavior have a sufficient level and partial knowledge of the dangers and safe behavior, but enough to live safely. Only 14.67% of adolescents with deviant behavior and 17.6% of adolescents with normotypic behavior demonstrate knowledge formation at an optimal level.

The differences in the cognitive component of the value of a safe lifestyle in the studied groups of adolescents with deviant and normotypic behavior, according to Pearson's -2 criterion, do not reach statistical significance.

Let's turn to the study results of the motivational component of the value of a safe lifestyle for adolescents with deviant behavior.

The value of safety in the structure of adolescents' value orientations was used to indicate the motivational component. The value of "security" at the level of normative ideals includes social order, national security, family security, and health. The value of "security" at the level of individual priorities consists of the importance for an individual to live in a safe environment, the security of their country, the preservation of public order, and the preservation of health. The studied indicator of the value "safety" was considered to be learned by a teenager if, when ranking, it was assigned a significant place at the level of normative ideals and individual priorities.

The study of the value of safety in the structure of adolescents' value orientations showed that at the level of normative ideals (beliefs describing generally accepted rules and norms), the value of "safety" is significant for 31.2% of adolescents with deviant behavior and 37.8% of adolescents with normotypic behavior, in whom the value of "safety" occupies the first three ranks.

The value of "safety" is insignificant for 41.8% of adolescents with deviant behavior and 43.4% with normotypic behavior. The insignificant value of "safety" is for 27.0% of adolescents with deviant behavior and 18.8% with normotypic behavior.

At the level of individual priorities (realization of value in actions, in behavior), the value of "safety" is significant for 16.7% of adolescents with deviant behavior and 28.4% of adolescents with normotypic behavior, for whom the value of "safety" occupies the first three ranks.

The insignificant value of "safety" is for 48.0% of adolescents with deviant behavior and 55.5% with normotypic behavior. The insignificant value of "safety" is for 35.3% of adolescents with deviant behavior and 16.1% with normotypic behavior.

A study of the type of motivation associated with training and self-education in the field of safety has shown that adolescents with deviant and normotypic behavior do not have a pronounced orientation of motivation to study safe behavior.

An internal positive motive is represented in 25% of adolescents with deviant behavior and 31.1% of adolescents with normotypic behavior, who consider it important to gain knowledge in the field of safe living, which will be helpful in later life, and strive to master the skills and abilities to ensure personal and public safety.

An external positive motive prevails in 37.5% of adolescents with deviant behavior and 41.9% with normotypic behavior who acquire knowledge and skills in safe behavior classes to receive praise or pedagogical evaluation from teachers or parents.

An external negative motive for studying safe behavior is presented in 37.5% of adolescents with deviant behavior and 27.0% of adolescents with normotypic behavior who study life safety due to the need to attend classes, to avoid troubles that may arise if they refuse to attend classes, carry out educational activities only under the supervision of a teacher.

Summarizing the results of the study of the indicators of the motivational component of the value of a safe lifestyle of adolescents showed that the critical level of the motivational component is represented in 39.6% of adolescents with deviant behavior and 27.1% of adolescents with normotypic behavior, for whom the value of "safety" is not significant and is not represented in the structure of essential values at the level of beliefs and its implementation in actions, in particular The structure of motivation to study safe behavior in adolescents is dominated by external negative motives.

A sufficient level of the motivational component is represented in 37.5% of adolescents with deviant behavior and 43.2% with normotypic behavior in the structure of value orientations in which the value of "safety" is insignificant. Still, its significance is realized at the level of beliefs; external positive motives prevail in the structure of motivation to study safe behavior in adolescents.

The optimal level of the motivational component is represented in 22.9% of adolescents with deviant behavior and 29.7% of adolescents with normotypic behavior, for whom the value of "safety" is significant at the level of beliefs and its implementation in actions, behavior, and the structure of motivation to study safe behavior in adolescents are dominated by internal positive motives, strive to gain knowledge, skills, and skills in the field of safe living.

Let's turn to the study results of the activity component of the value of a safe lifestyle for adolescents with deviant behavior.

The study of the formation of skills for the implementation of safe behavior showed that 27.1% of adolescents with deviant behavior and 25.7% of adolescents with normotypic behavior cannot independently find a way out and determine a rational form of safe behavior in various life situations, which corresponds to the critical level of formation of skills for the implementation of safe behavior.

Most adolescents have a sufficient level of formation of skills for implementing safe behavior—60.4% of adolescents with deviant behavior and 52.7% of adolescents with normotypic behavior, who at the reproductive level apply previously acquired knowledge and rules of behavior in a dangerous situation, are unable to find a way out of a non-standard situation when conditions change.

The optimal level of skills for forming safe behavior skills is represented in 12.5% of adolescents with deviant behavior and 21.6% with normotypic behavior. In complex and dangerous situations, adolescents can analyze the situation, choose appropriate actions, and invent new methods of action in the presence of interference or uncertainty.

A study of their own experience of safe behavior in the daily life of adolescents has shown that the majority of adolescents with deviant behavior (62.5% of adolescents) and 40.6% of adolescents with normative behavior have a critical level of education, adolescents are aware of the risks of situations, but in their lives, they do not comply with safety standards and rules, do not lead an active lifestyle, have harmful habits.

A sufficient level of their own experience of safe behavior in everyday life situations is represented in 33.3% of adolescents with deviant behavior and 33.8% of adolescents with normative behavior who strive to comply with safety norms and rules but can ignore them in conditions of interference and subjective perception of a safe situation.

The optimal experience of safe behavior in daily life is represented in 4.2% of adolescents with deviant behavior and 25.7% of adolescents with normative behavior who follow the norms and rules of a safe lifestyle and prefer a healthy and safe lifestyle.

Summarizing the results of the study of the indicators of the practical component of the value of a safe lifestyle of adolescents showed that the majority of adolescents in the experimental group have a critical level of the practical criterion of the value of a safe lifestyle—60.4% of adolescents, in the control group—40.6% of adolescents. Teenagers are aware of possible dangers, may disregard safety rules, violate safety rules, considering it permissible, do not comply with the norms of a healthy lifestyle, apply previously acquired knowledge and rules of behavior in a dangerous situation, but when conditions change, they cannot find the optimal way out of the situation.

A sufficient level of the activity component of the value of a safe lifestyle is represented in 29.2% of adolescents in the experimental group and 27.0% of adolescents in the control group who strive to comply with safety rules, may violate them if they do not see danger and, in the presence of interference, can make the right choice of the most rational way of safe behavior in a dangerous situation.

The optimal level of the activity component of the value of a safe lifestyle is represented in 29.2% of adolescents in the experimental group and 27.0% in the control group. Teenagers living in various spheres of life who follow safety rules actively prevent dangerous situations and reduce risks. They adhere to a healthy lifestyle, striving for prevention. In the case of a dangerous situation, its analysis is carried out and the optimal action is selected in a non-standard dangerous situation.

Statistical processing of the results of the study on the practical component was carried out using Pearson's χ2 - criterion. The resulting x2Emp = 15.276 is greater than the critical value (5.991 at p < 0.05; 9.21 at p < 0.01), and the discrepancies between the distributions are statistically significant. In adolescents with deviant behavior, the practical component is largely not formed; adolescents neglect safety rules, consider them acceptable, are not focused on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and cannot choose the optimal action in a non-standard dangerous situation, compared with adolescents with normotypic behavior.

Let's turn to the results of the study of the regulatory component of the value of a safe lifestyle for adolescents with deviant behavior.

The critical level of the regulatory component of the value of a safe lifestyle is represented in the majority of adolescents with deviant behavior (52.1% of adolescents) and in 27.0% of adolescents with normative behavior, whose volitional self-regulation is characterized by impulsivity and instability of intentions, low self-control, which can lead to inconsistency and even dispersion of behavior in various life situations.

A sufficient level of the regulatory component is more represented in the group of adolescents with normative behavior—54.1% of adolescents and 31.2% of adolescents with deviant behavior who can set goals, find it difficult to plan them, can react relatively flexibly to changing conditions, show self-control situationally, not in all situations flexibly and adequately respond to a change in the situation.

The optimal level of the regulatory component is represented in 16.7% of adolescents with deviant behavior and 18.9% of adolescents with normative behavior, whose volitional self-regulation is characterized by stable intentions, confident behavior, planning for the implementation of intentions, distribution of efforts and the ability to self-control, flexibly and adequately respond to changing situations.

Statistical processing of the results of the study on the practical component was carried out using Pearson's χ2 - criterion.

The resulting x2Emp = 14.248 is greater than the critical value (5.991 at p < 0.05; 9.21 at p < 0.01), and the discrepancies between the distributions are statistically significant. The differences obtained between adolescents of the two studied groups are statistically significant, adolescents with deviant behavior significantly have a less formed regulatory component of the value of a safe lifestyle, are impulsive and unstable in behavior, have lower self-control, low self-control, which can lead to inconsistency in various life situations, compared with adolescents with normotypic behavior.

Conclusion

Thus, based on the results of the study of the value of a safe lifestyle for adolescents with deviant behavior, the following conclusions can be drawn about the peculiarities of formation:

- Teenagers have insufficiently formed (knowledge is not formed, or partial knowledge) knowledge about hazards and safe behavior

- Adolescents with deviant behavior have fragmentary knowledge about the main types of hazards, recognize the main types of hazards arising in the human-environment system, their sources, factors, and methods of protection against them, as well as norms and rules of safe behavior in the environment, about a safe and healthy lifestyle.

- The value of security is more represented at the level of beliefs describing generally accepted rules and norms than the realization of value in actions and behavior.

- External positive and negative motives represent the orientation of motivation to study safe behavior. Teenagers gain knowledge and skills in classes on teaching safe behavior due to the need to attend courses to avoid trouble and receive praise or a pedagogical assessment from teachers or parents.

- Apply previously acquired knowledge of safe living and rules of behavior in a dangerous situation at the reproductive level, but you are unable to find a way out of a non-standard situation when conditions change.

- Teenagers are aware of the risks of uncertain and dangerous situations. Still, in their daily activities, they do not comply with safety standards and rules, do not lead an active lifestyle, and have bad habits.

- Insufficiently developed volitional self-regulation, characterized by impulsivity and instability of intentions, and low self-control, which can lead to inconsistency and even scattered behavior of adolescents in various life situations.

As a result of the conducted research, the concept of the value of a safe lifestyle was concretized, the structure of the value of a safe lifestyle of adolescents was empirically confirmed, and the features of the value of a safe lifestyle of adolescents with deviant behavior were revealed.