Deviant behavior is the behavior of people that does not correspond to generally accepted values and norms.
Deviant behavior - the commission of acts that are contrary to the norms of social behavior in a particular community. The main types of deviant behavior include primarily crime, alcoholism and drug addiction, as well as suicide, prostitution. According to E. Durkheim, the probability of behavioral deviations increases significantly with the weakening of normative control taking place at the level of society. According to R. Merton's theory of anomie, deviant behavior occurs primarily when socially accepted and set values cannot be achieved by some part of this society. In the context of the theory of socialization, people are prone to deviant behavior, whose socialization took place in the conditions of encouraging or ignoring certain elements of deviant behavior (violence, immorality). In the theory of stigmatization, it is believed that the emergence of deviant behavior becomes possible even with the mere definition of an individual as socially deviant and the application of repressive or corrective measures against him.
Delinquent behavior (from Latin delictum - misdemeanor, English - delinquency - offense, fault) - antisocial illegal behavior of an individual, embodied in his actions (actions or inactions) that harm both individual citizens and society as a whole
21. Social control is divided into two types:
§ self-control- the application of sanctions committed by the person himself, aimed at himself;
§ external control- a set of institutions and mechanisms that guarantee compliance with generally accepted norms of behavior and laws.
External control is:
§ informal - based on the approval or condemnation of relatives, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, as well as public opinion, which is expressed through customs and traditions or the media;
§ formal - based on the approval or condemnation of official authorities and administration.
In modern society, in a complex society, in a country of many millions, it is impossible to maintain order and stability by informal methods, since informal control is limited to a small group of people, which is why it is called local. On the contrary, formal control operates throughout the country. It is carried out by agents of formal control - persons specially trained and paid for performing control functions, bearers of social statuses and roles - judges, law enforcement officers, social workers, church ministers, etc. In traditional society, social control rested on unwritten rules. For example, in a traditional rural community, there were no written norms; the church was organically woven into a single system of social control.
In modern society, the basis of social control is the norms fixed in documents - instructions, decrees, decrees, laws. Formal control is carried out by such institutions of modern society as the courts, education, the army, production, the media, political parties, and the government. The school controls us through examination scores, the government through the system of taxation and social assistance to the population, the state through the police, secret service, state television channels, press and radio.
Depending on the sanctions applied, the methods of control are:
§ straight rigid; tool - political repression;
§ indirect rigid; instrument - economic sanctions of the international community;
§ straight soft; tool - the operation of the constitution and the criminal code;
§ indirect soft; tool - the media.
Organizations control:
§ general (if the manager gives a subordinate a task and does not control the progress of its implementation);
§ detailed (if the manager intervenes in every action, corrects, etc.); such control is also called supervision.
Supervision is carried out not only at the micro level, but also at the macro level.
At the macro level, the state acts as the subject exercising supervision - police stations, the informant service, prison guards, convoy troops, courts, censorship.
An organization and society as a whole can be overwhelmed by a huge number of norms. In such cases, the population refuses to comply with the norms, and the authorities are not able to control every little thing. However, it has long been noted that the worse the laws are enforced, the more of them are published. The population is protected from regulatory overloads by their non-fulfillment. If most of the people for whom a particular rule is intended manage to circumvent it, then the rule is dead.
People will necessarily disobey the rules or circumvent the law:
§ if this norm is unprofitable for them, contradicts their interests, causes more harm than good;
§ if there is no strict and unconditional mechanism for all citizens to control the implementation of the law.
Mutually beneficial orders, laws, regulations and social norms in general are convenient in that they are executed voluntarily and do not require the maintenance of an additional staff of controllers.
Each norm must be covered by an appropriate number of sanctions and agents of control.
Responsibility to the implementation of the law arises from citizens, provided that they:
§ are equal before the law, despite differences in status;
§ interested in the operation of this law.
The American sociologist of Austrian origin P. Berger proposed the concept of social control, the essence of which is as follows (Fig. 1). A person stands in the center of diverging concentric circles representing different types, types and forms of social control. Each circle is a new control system.
Lap 1 - outer - political and legal system, represented by the powerful apparatus of the state. In addition to our will, the state:
§ levies taxes;
§ calls for military service;
§ makes you obey your rules and regulations;
§ If he deems it necessary, deprive him of his liberty and even life.
A circle 2 - morality, customs and mores. Everyone follows our morality:
§ morality police - can put you in jail;
§ parents, relatives - use informal sanctions such as condemnation;
§ friends - will not forgive betrayal or meanness and may part with you.
A circle 3 - professional system. At work, a person is constrained: by a mass of restrictions, instructions, professional duties, business obligations that have a controlling effect. Immorality is punished by dismissal from work, eccentricity - by the loss of chances to find a new job.
The control of the professional system is of great importance, since the profession and position decide what an individual can and cannot do in non-productive life, which organizations will accept him as a member, what his circle of acquaintances will be, in which area he will allow himself to live, etc. .
A circle 4 - social environment, namely: distant and close, unfamiliar and familiar people. The environment makes its own demands on a person, unwritten laws, for example: the manner of dressing and speaking, aesthetic tastes, political and religious beliefs, even the manner of behaving at the table (an ill-mannered person will not be invited to visit or those who appreciate good manners will refuse from the house).
Circle 5 - closest to the individual - private life. The circle of family and personal friends also forms a system of social control. Social pressure on the individual does not weaken here, but, on the contrary, increases. It is in this circle that the individual establishes the most important social bonds. Disapproval, loss of prestige, ridicule or contempt in the circle of loved ones have a much greater psychological weight than the same sanctions emanating from strangers or strangers.
The core of private life is the intimate relationship between husband and wife. It is in intimate relationships that a person seeks support for the most important feelings that make up the Self-image. To stake these connections is to risk losing yourself.
Thus, a person must: yield, obey, please, by virtue of his position, everyone - from the federal tax service to his own wife (husband).
Society, with all its bulk, suppresses the individual.
It is impossible to live in society and be free from it.
22. The concept of social community
The concept of social communities
Social communities are one of the social subsystems, a group of people with common social characteristics, occupying the same social position, united by joint activities or having common goals, cultural needs, political, ideological and other value orientations.
The diversity of social communities is quite impressive. Sociological research has proven that the majority of citizens in each country interact with various communities. This fact explains the real interests and motives of citizens' behavior, as well as the conditions for stability or, conversely, instability of the whole society as a whole.
Social communities include: ethnic, professional, territorial, gender, age, regional, educational and other associations of people.
Practice shows that a person's attitude to existing communities is an indicator of his social activity, citizenship and democracy. The more communities a citizen belongs to, the more useful a member of society he is, since these are politically active individuals who participate in solving public issues and can influence the solution of many significant situations.
Features of social communities
social communities are not an abstract concept, they really exist, and they can be identified with the help of observation;
the number of people who are counted in social communities does not lend itself to arithmetic calculations, but this is a holistic association;
the emergence of social communities refers to the satisfaction of the needs, interests and motivations of the participants.
Reasons for the formation of social communities
similarity, closeness of people's living conditions;
similar needs and interests;
unity of views and approaches to solving some or many problems;
feeling of benefit from the manifestation of interactions and other cooperation;
informal attribution of participants to this community.
Typology of social communities
By size:
1) Large social communities. These associations include: employees, entrepreneurs, farmers, environmentalists, opponents of military operations.
Large social communities have significant influence, and therefore are of interest to sociologists. Due to their large numbers, communities can spread influence over large areas.
2) Small social communities. These include families, employees of departments, groups of students in educational institutions, graduates, associations of owners of residential buildings.
Small communities are of interest to sociology, since in a number of cases large mass public organizations and movements arise on their basis, which play an important role in the democratization of social relations.
By degree of organization:
1) Slightly organized communities that arise for the joint solution of a limited problem, and as it is solved, cease to exist. For example: voters of a party, members of social movements.
2) Rigidly organized communities. They are distinguished by the presence of a clear program, governing bodies, continuity of activities. Examples can be: social movements, political parties, etc. Often communities with a rigid organization arise on the basis of poorly organized communities.
Social communities are distinguished by a wide variety of types and forms, for example, according to the following features:
in terms of quantitative composition - from two or three people to tens and even hundreds of millions;
by duration of existence - from several minutes to many millennia;
according to the basic system-forming features - professional, territorial, ethnic, demographic, socio-cultural, confessional, etc.
Large social communities
Large social communities are, as a rule, groups of many thousands of people with territorial boundaries and an indefinite qualitative and quantitative composition (for example, class, territorial, professional, confessional, ethnic communities, etc.). The emergence and functioning of large social communities occurs on the basis of common social ties. These ties, as a rule, are situational and indirect in nature of solidarity interaction (for example, a solidarity rally of Vorkuta miners in support of the striking Kuzbass miners; a protest rally (demonstration) of Arab students in Moscow condemning the US-British aggression in Iraq).
Large social communities are more characterized not by social contacts (direct interaction of its members), but by indirect social ties. And the larger the social community (by the number of members, by the territory it occupies), the less opportunities for its members for direct interaction.
In addition to the presence of common social signs for attributing oneself to a particular social community, self-awareness (self-determination) of a particular individual is of no small importance. For example, in an open democratic society, a person, as a rule, can choose his place of residence, occupation, profession, religion, ideology, etc. The desire of an individual to participate in the activities of a particular social community largely depends on the expected reward (material or moral ), which he can get in the future.
23. Large social group- a quantitatively unlimited social community that has stable values, norms of behavior and socio-regulatory mechanisms (parties, ethnic groups, industrial and industrial and public organizations).
Deviation- this is a deviation from generally accepted values and norms in the process of social interaction. It is considered only from the point of view of the degree of fulfillment or non-fulfillment of the established standards of the group or community. Depending on whether they cause this or that harm to society or, conversely, benefit, they distinguish culturally approved(constructive) and culturally frowned upon(destructive) types of deviation. The former include genius, heroic deeds, sporting achievements, and leadership abilities. In traditional societies, hermitism, religious fanaticism, and a super-ascetic lifestyle are considered to be approved deviations. Culturally unapproved deviations include those actions and those types of social activities that are detrimental to society and at least cause condemnation.
Youth criminals, hermits, ascetics, hardened sinners, saints, geniuses, innovative artists, murderers - all these are people who deviate from generally accepted norms. Not attending a church service is also a kind of deviation from the position of an unbeliever.
Acceptable deviation anyway is rewarded. Forms of remuneration: cash payments, granting privileges, increasing status or prestige. Unapproved deviation entails condemnation, punishment(up to imprisonment) insulation(up to expulsion from the country) or treatment.
Deviation performs two functions: Bringing the group together and establishing a boundary between acceptable and unacceptable. Incorrigible deviants are subject to prison isolation or hospitalization. They serve as a lesson to others. Punishment for wrongdoing reinforces norms and the rule of law. In most societies control deviant behavior asymmetrical: deviations in a bad direction are condemned, and in a good direction they are approved. Depending on whether the deviation is positive or negative, all forms of deviations can be placed on a certain continuum:
If we make a statistical calculation, it turns out that in normally developing societies and under normal conditions, each of these groups will account for about 10-15% of the total population. On the contrary, 70% of the population is made up of "solid averages" - people with minor deviations (Fig. 7.13).
Rice. 7.13.
The Gaussian curve is a universal means of expressing the quantitative distribution in society of mass social properties, features, traits, phenomena, processes, etc.
Although most people behave in accordance with the laws most of the time, they cannot be considered absolutely law-abiding, i.e. social conformists.
There are various approaches to the problem of deviations.
- Structural approach developed by E. Erickson. He found that the proportion of deviants in the population remained roughly constant in all epochs. Deviance increases during periods of dramatic social change, when the criteria for what counts as deviation are revised. In calm times, on the contrary, the system of social control itself changes.
- As part of symbolic interventionism E. Lemert and G. Becker created stigma theory, arguing that deviation is the result of a negative assessment by the community, labeling it as offensive.
- The Concept of Differentiated Capabilities R. Claward and L. Oulina argues that it is very attractive for an individual to use the role model of behavior of successful deviants.
The history of the sociological development of the problem begins with E. Durkheim. He believed that deviations play a positive role at the societal level, contributing to the preservation of social order. Crime is a necessary part of all societies. It renders an important service in that it generates social concord in opposition to it. All members of society come together to express their outrage at the crime, thereby developing closer bonds among themselves. Through group consensus, social order is strengthened. When deviants are punished, a solidarity community is formed among citizens, which strengthens their beliefs.
After Durkheim, research developed along three main lines:
- 1) theoretical and methodological (M. Weber, P. A. Sorokin, T. Parsons);
- 2) interdisciplinary - sociologists and lawyers (M. Halbwachs, W. Thomas, F. Znanetsky), as well as representatives of the theory of conflict (L. Koser, R. Dahrendorf), psychoanalysis and social ethology;
- 3) a special sociological theory that originated in the depths of structural functionalism (T. Parsons, R. Merton).
Domestic sociologists, following Robert Merton, recognize the existence of five types of behavioral reactions.
- 1. Subordination(conforming behavior): acceptance of ends and means.
- 2. Innovation(reformism): acceptance of ends, elimination of means.
- 3. ritualism: rejection of ends, acceptance of means.
- 4. Retreatism(withdrawal): rejection of neither ends nor means.
- 5. rebellion: Rejection of ends and means, replacing them with new ends and means.
In the strict sense, the second, fourth and fifth types of behavior are considered deviant. In accordance with R. Merton's theory of anomie, deviance occurs when socially accepted and set values cannot be achieved by some part of society.
Deviant behavior- a system of actions that deviate from the social norm accepted or implied by the majority of the population and do not entail criminal, administrative or disciplinary punishment. Deviant behavior is a kind of deviant behavior, its mild form.
Especially often deviant behavior is observed in adolescents. The reasons for this are social immaturity and the physiological characteristics of the emerging organism. They manifest themselves in the desire to experience curiosity, thrill, in the lack of ability to predict the consequences of their actions, the hypertrophied desire to be independent. A teenager often does not meet the requirements that society places on him, he is not ready to fulfill certain social roles to the extent that others expect him to. In turn, he believes that he does not receive from society what he has the right to count on. The contradiction between the biological and social immaturity of adolescents, on the one hand, and the requirements of society, on the other, is a real source of deviation.
Sociologists have established a trend: the more a person learns patterns of deviant behavior, the more often he encounters them and the younger his age. Violations of social norms by young people can be serious and frivolous, conscious and unconscious. All serious violations, whether conscious or not, that fall under the category of unlawful act are considered delinquent conduct.
Delinquent behavior- this is deviant behavior, which in its extreme manifestations is a criminal act. In legal practice delinquency understood in two senses.
The delinquent ones include administrative offenses, expressed in violation of traffic rules, petty hooliganism (foul language, obscene language in public places, offensive harassment of citizens and other similar actions that violate public order and peace of mind of citizens), as well as absenteeism without good reason for studying by students , appearing at work in a state of alcoholic, narcotic or toxic intoxication, drinking alcoholic beverages, violating labor protection rules, etc. Persons committing such offenses are subject to liability under civil law. Delinquent acts also include acts committed by children, adolescents and young people that are insignificant or not serious from the point of view of criminal law, i.e. not punishable under criminal law.
Delinquent behavior is a kind of deviant behavior, its rigid form. An even stronger form is criminal behavior. Delinquent and deviant behavior are related to each other as species and genus, part and whole. All delinquency is deviant behavior, but not all delinquent behavior can be classified as delinquent. The recognition of deviant behavior as delinquent is always associated with the actions of the state represented by its bodies authorized to adopt legal norms that enshrine in the legislation this or that act as an offense.
The list of delinquent behavior of schoolchildren, according to foreign and domestic sociologists, usually includes such offenses as: not returning home at night, drinking alcohol, molesting adults, fighting, illegally keeping weapons, inflicting serious bodily harm on someone with knives, stealing, skip classes, smoke marijuana, leave school, take pocket money from other students, disturb the order in public places, damage public property, write or paint on the walls, etc.
Adolescent delinquency usually begins with school truancy and joining an antisocial peer group. They are followed by petty hooliganism, bullying of the younger and weak, taking pocket money from babies, stealing (for the purpose of riding) bicycles and motorcycles, fraud and petty speculative transactions, defiant behavior, home theft of small amounts of money. According to the UN, about 30% of all young people take part in any illegal actions, 5% commit serious offenses.
The assimilation of social norms is the basis of socialization. Compliance with these norms determines the cultural level of society. Deviation from generally accepted norms is called deviant behavior in sociology.
In a broad sense, "deviation" means any behavior or actions that do not correspond to:
a) unwritten rules
b) written rules. In a narrow sense, "deviation" refers only to the first j
type of inconsistency, and the second type is called delinquent behavior. As you know, social norms are of two types:
1) written - formally fixed in the constitution, criminal law and other legal laws, the observance of which is guaranteed by the state
2) unwritten - informal norms and rules of conduct, the observance of which is not guaranteed by the legal aspects of the state. They are fixed only by traditions, customs, etiquette, manners, that is, some conventions, or tacit agreements between people about what is considered proper, correct, proper behavior.
Violation of formal norms is called delinquent(criminal) behavior, and the violation of informal norms - deviant (deviant) behavior.
How do they differ from each other?
Deviant and delinquent behavior can be distinguished as follows. First relatively, and the second absolutely. What is a deviation for one person or group may be a habit for another or others. The upper class considers its behavior to be the norm, while the behavior of representatives of other classes, especially the lower ones, is a deviation. Deviant behavior is relative, because it is related only to the cultural norms of this group. But delinquent behavior is absolutely in relation to the laws of robbery by representatives of the social lower classes can, from their point of view, be considered a normal form of earnings or a way of establishing social justice. But this is not a deviation, but a crime, since there is an absolute norm - a legal law that qualifies robbery as a crime.
reference"" In Russia in 1994, according to the CIA, there were 6,000 organized criminal groups scattered throughout Russia and 30 other countries. Only in Moscow there are more than 1000 brothels and firms providing intimate services. In elite and street prostitution, 70% are non-Muscovites.
Delinquency. Theft, bribery, robbery or murder violate the basic laws of the state, which guarantee the rights of the individual, and are prosecuted. A trial is carried out on criminals, they determine the measure of punishment and for different periods (depending on the severity of the criminal act), they are referred to correctional or hard labor, sent to prison or a conditional measure of restraint (partial restriction of rights) is determined. This is an extremely wide class of phenomena - from ticketless travel to the murder of a person.
Crimes include fraud, embezzlement, forgery, bribery, industrial espionage, vandalism, theft, burglary, car theft, arson, prostitution, gambling and other types of illegal activities.
Deviance. On the contrary, acts such as exposing the genitals, emptying or having sex in public places, foul language, speaking loudly or excitedly do not violate criminal law, but are contrary to the norms of behavior. The only way to punish them is bringing them to administrative responsibility, paying a fine, verbally condemning the surrounding people or disapproving, sidelong glances of passers-by.
The forms of deviant behavior include criminality, alcoholism, drug addiction, prostitution, homosexuality, gambling, mental disorder, suicide.
reference
The suicide rate is about 3 times the homicide rate. The suicide rate is calculated per 100,000 inhabitants. In 1987, it was 19 in the USSR, 21 in Germany, 22 in France, and 12 in the USA.
The level of suicide among men is 3 times higher than among women, and at the active age (25 - 39 years) - even 6 times (Sociol. Issled., 1990, No. 4, p. 75).
Let's draw conclusions: in sociology, deviant behavior is understood as a broader category than delinquent behavior. In other words, the first includes the second as part of itself. Deviation is any violation of the norms, and delinquency is only serious, entailing criminal punishment. In sociology, both broad and narrow interpretations are equally applicable.
A characteristic feature of deviant behavior is cultural relativism. In other words, the relativity of any social norms.
illustrative example
According to the story of a psychiatrist, an elderly woman entered the Moscow metro car, and this happened in the summer of 1995. On the head is a motorcycle helmet with a lowered shield. On the hands - police leggings. Before sitting down, she placed a plank on the seat.
Who is she - normal or abnormal? According to the psychiatrist, she is a completely normal person. We are abnormal. The woman put psychotropic protection against the aggression emitted by others. In alternative medicine, this is quite normal.
So, social norms are a relative thing, as well as deviation from them, i.e. deviance. The norm for some becomes a deviation for others. In culture, everything is relative. It all depends on the angle of view. For metro passengers, the woman who entered is a deviation; for a psychiatrist, she is the norm. But the opinion of a psychiatrist is not the ultimate truth. To some, his judgments will seem schizophrenic.
Here's another situation. The patient goes to the doctor:
Doctor, what is the first symptom that a person has gone mad?
If he considers himself a perfectly normal person.
Among some primitive tribes in primitive times and today, cannibalism, gerontocide (killing of the elderly), incest and infanticide (killing of children) were considered a normal phenomenon caused by economic reasons (lack of food) or a social device (permission of marriage between relatives).
Cultural relativism can be a comparative characteristic not only of two different societies or eras, but also of two or more large social groups within the same society. In this case, it is necessary to speak not about culture, but about subculture. Examples of such groups are political parties, government, social class or stratum, believers, youth, women, pensioners, national minorities. So, not attending a church service is a deviation from the standpoint of a believer, but the norm from the standpoint of an unbeliever. The etiquette of the nobility required addressing by name and patronymic, and the diminutive name (“Kolka” or “Nikitka”) - the norm of address in the lower strata - was considered a deviation by the first.
In modern society, such forms of behavior are considered deviant. Murder in war is permitted and even rewarded, but in peacetime it is punished. In Paris, prostitution is legal (legalized) and not condemned, while in other countries it is considered illegal and deviant. It follows that the criteria for deviance are relative to a given culture and cannot be considered in isolation from it.
In addition, the criteria for deviance change over time, even within the same culture.
In the USSR in the 1960s and 1970s, schoolteachers fought against "long-haired" students, seeing in this an imitation of the "bourgeois way of life" and signs of moral corruption. In the late 80s, our society changed, and long hair turned from deviation into the norm.
Let's conclude: deviation in a broad sense is relative: a) the historical era, b) the culture of society. Relativity in sociology has received the special name of relativism.
Sociologists have established the following patterns: 1. If disagreement with the norms causes personal harm, it is punished by society to a lesser extent or not at all than a violation that brings collective harm.
Example. Careless handling of matches can lead to a fire in a public building and claim dozens of lives. It is punished more severely than the same violation in a private house.
2. If a deviation from the norm threatens the life of a person, it is punished more severely than damage to property or public order.
An example serve as traffic accidents and road accidents.
3. Deviant behavior that causes great material damage, really threatens human life or honor, or endangers state security, goes into another category of behavior and is qualified as a crime.
Example- trial of traitors to the motherland.
4. Minimum unapproved deviations are tolerated by society more calmly, since they are considered a random event that can happen to any person. Examples given above.
5. The boundaries of society's tolerance for deviations are different in different cultures or in different situations in the same culture.
Examples. The murder of a person in modern society is regarded as a crime, and in primitive society - as a sacrifice to the gods. Attacking a person and killing him in modern society is a crime. But defending against a criminal, resulting in the death of the attacker, is regarded as heroism. The murder of a compatriot in peacetime is severely punished, but the murder of a foreigner, who in wartime is considered an enemy or an invader, causes respect and brings glory.
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Delinquent behavior is antisocial, illegal behavior, which manifests itself in such actions that harm society, threaten the lives of other people and the general social order, are criminally punishable. It comes from the Latin "delictum", which translates as "misdemeanor". This concept determines the meaning of this behavior, that is, delinquent behavior is behavior that denotes a misconduct against society, against social norms and rules. Various sciences, mainly social sciences, are engaged in the study of this behavior, because, first of all, it is expressed in misconduct that affects the environment of a person, and, in general, fights back in a negative way on public order, and the state is built from each person, therefore it is very it is important that the order is observed, for this purpose methods of preventing offenses are used.
Between themselves, delinquent and criminal behavior are connected, more precisely, criminal is a form of delinquent, and in most cases a criminal case is opened against such an offender.
Delinquent behavior directly aimed at violating state norms and laws. In most cases, a juvenile criminal is considered a delinquent, and when he reaches the age of majority, he is called an antisocial person. The behavior of a delinquent can be in the form of minor violations, then it is called antisocial. When violations reach the level of a criminal offense, it is considered criminal. Not all deviant behavior is delinquent, but all manifestations of delinquent behavior are deviant. The older generation believes that in the modern world all teenagers and young people are criminals, and they are often credited with various kinds of misconduct. But they do not understand that there is a big difference between young people who just walk for a long time, listen to music loudly, dress extravagantly, have flashy makeup, hair, and those who spend their leisure time drinking alcohol, hooliganism, delinquency, promiscuity and communicating with using foul language.
Delinquent behavior is behavior that has a number of features. It is special in that there is no clear boundary where the offense begins. For example, an adult who evades taxes, lies to government employees, also acts illegally, but no one calls him a delinquent. The second feature of delinquent behavior is the strictest regulation by laws, legal norms, and disciplinary rules. The third feature is that of all types of deviations, it is the illegal that is considered the most serious, since it becomes a threat to public order. And one more feature of delinquent behavior is that it always means a conflict between one person or group of offenders and the rest of society, more specifically, between individual interests and aspirations, and the direction of society.
Delinquent and deviant behavior
Delinquent and deviant behavior describe behavior that is contrary to the rules of society, and there are differences between them. Deviant behavior is relative, refers to the cultural norms of only one group, and delinquent behavior is absolute in relation to state norms.
For example, robbery on the street is considered a form of income and according to the law, such an act is considered a crime, even if it had a noble meaning, and this does not indicate deviation. is deviant, it characterizes actions that are contrary to expectations, officially established rules, and prevailing in the social group in which the person is located.
Delinquent behavior is behavior that is considered socially deviant, it refers to illegal acts that threaten life and social well-being. Such wrongful offenses are called delicts, and the offender himself is called a delinquent. His behavior may be regulated, through laws, disciplinary rules and social norms. Often such control provokes even greater opposition. Therefore, no matter how much society seeks to punish the delinquent, he will always do what he wants to the last. His actions are explained by the presence of an internal conflict between personal desires and the aspirations and requirements of society.
In delinquent behavior, the measure of what is permissible is the law, in deviant behavior, the standards and norms of society, and in order to achieve the desired, they can use all sorts of means. From such personalities in the future grow criminals, or offenders who constantly have problems with crime.
Delinquent behavior of teenagers
Delinquent behavior of minors arises under the influence of one experienced friend or group of teenagers who are not even anti-social, but have bad habits. A company in which teenagers are not engaged in any serious business, sports, art or diligent study of lessons, are busy only watching films, discussing them, going shopping, shopping centers and it happens that they get bored and look for more an interesting occupation that united their company, but they cannot imagine that it could be, for example, sports. From boredom and idleness, they begin to see a way out in alcohol, drugs, which, in general, gives rise to delinquent behavior. But, of course, not all teenagers are delinquents. There are those who are not at all interested and are not fond of such activities. Much depends on, accentuation, individual, which may be a prerequisite for the occurrence of delinquency. Basically, adventurism and, choleric temperament, the specificity of moral consciousness, contribute to the formation of delinquency. Such adolescents have special mechanisms for the functioning of the psyche, and for this they can be divided into three groups. Some of them, who can be called repentant, have primitive anti-social needs and certain moral rules. These needs are very strong, and under their pressure, positively resolved in their direction, and the moral level goes down. But after the deed, their conscience will torment them.
Another group of adolescents are those who do not have an internal conflict, do not repent of their deeds and are not tormented by their conscience. They do not have internal moral restraint, therefore, at every opportunity, they embody their desires and asocial needs in life, and often the deeds made by them cross the line of socially acceptable norms, because of which they are already becoming rejected from society. Often such teenagers act in a group and they have a leader who often does not do the atrocity himself, but only directs what others should do.
Delinquent behavior of minors from the third group is the most dangerous. They oppose the moral norms of society absolutely consciously. Their views are cynical, and their needs are very strong. They easily cross the boundaries of what is allowed, they simply do not see them, and commit a crime.
It is believed that the socio-economic reasons for the delinquent behavior of adolescents are very significant. The destruction of public culture and the displacement of spiritual values, ethical and aesthetic norms into the background, the problems of the economy and finance in the country, the development of the shadow economy, illegal business, population migration, the dissemination of materials containing violence, cruelty, pornography, luxury by the media. Adolescents are very much influenced by any factors and information, but if they are given this information in such a light that disturbs their consciousness and psyche, they delve into everything and absorb these irritants with great interest. They also see a certain illusory ideology of society, and consider it true, and borrow it into their life activity. Such a specific ideology encourages and even justifies the criminal way of life. Therefore, having committed a crime, a teenager feels protected, he thinks that he has an excuse and denies his responsibility for what he has done, since he has no psychological or moral barriers left at all, he felt free to act when he saw in some film or program that crime justified.
The causes of delinquent behavior of adolescents also lie in family relationships. Such behavior can be caused by relationships with parents, or rather inadequate, bad relationships. A teenager, because of a quarrel in the house, can run away from him, skip school, fight, do a hooligan act. And it is precisely all the most serious deeds that are caused not by the gang, which includes the individual and their values, but precisely because of a misunderstanding of his home. Sometimes not so open conflict precedes the escape, as, on the contrary, the indifferent and indifferent behavior of parents in the life of a teenager.
Adolescents are very fond of attention, they are dependent on it, and the manifestation of indifference towards them from their loved ones becomes very painful and unbearable for them. If there are two generations under the same roof of the house, and they pretend that they do not notice each other, but only coexist together, neither supporting and helping each other, nor giving emotional warmth and love, then sooner or later one should expect a conflict in this home. This is like a time bomb, one way or another, someone has to break loose, and if there is a child in this family, then most likely the responsibility for this will be on him, as on the most sensitive and impressionable of all living together. Then the child begins to seek refuge where he will be accepted, often falling into those groups that should be bypassed, but it is they who offer this, which is why he is simply not able to refuse, and this is exactly what allows him to forget about everything bad, about everything that was at home and it turns out to be just what you need. Of course, this refers to drugs or alcohol. And the teenager from that moment breaks all family relationships, spiritual ties and considers his family to be new friends with whom he has so much fun, and with whom he can do such bold deeds that he never dared to do and feel satisfaction from this (vandalism, hooliganism) . According to some sociologists, it is in wealthy families that such problems are observed. In families where people concentrate on making money, and the child was born so that when they could no longer be able to, he continued to earn. There are no relationships in such families, they do not communicate and perceive it in such a way that it should be so, that it was and will be so. This is a modern trend, and it is observed more in Western countries. If family conditions are unfavorable, and adolescents deny generally accepted norms of communication and behavior, they are exposed to criminal influence.
One of the most important causes of delinquency is an underdeveloped or distorted moral consciousness. Having once felt the need for alcohol or intimacy, and having satisfied their desire, they begin to desire this very often and in immoderate quantities. And the wretchedness of these needs, and promiscuity in the ways of satisfying them also become the reason that the circle of acquaintances and friends with whom they previously communicated is very narrowing, even those who were close and neighbors no longer want to have ties with them. But new friends appear, with whom they share a common pastime in a party. They do not have socially approved interests, activities, do not attend sports clubs and sections. Even their classmates do not communicate with each of such a company, and they must be formed into gangs from the dregs of society.
Often, the tendency to delinquency is born when a teenager is not accepted either at home or at school. Although teenagers never show, in fact, the opinion of teachers is very important to them, they perceive them as significant relatives, especially those who really like it and when they do not receive feedback and support, they feel sad at first, but then a reaction follows anger and this anger leads to aggressive actions.
Cause of delinquency may have a lot of free time. Since most potential delinquents do not like to study, do not engage in hobbies, their leisure time is primitive and monotonous. They can be occupied with new information, easy, which does not need to be intellectually processed, and the transfer of this information to peers. Empty talk about nothing, walking around shopping centers without a goal, watching TV are the first steps towards the degradation of the personality, then alcohol, gambling, drugs, toxic substances and others that make it possible to experience a new impression.
There is an opinion that only extroverts become delinquents, they are focused on the external environment and people, because it is easier for them to join groups. But there are also introverts, they act on their own, thus resolving their internal conflicts.
Adolescent development is very intensive and fast, and timely prevention of delinquent behavior should be carried out in order to prevent the formation of antisocial inclinations of the individual. In carrying out preventive work, it is important to accustom adolescents to the psychohygienic requirements of behavior, the ability to make the right choice, in order to achieve the state of a socially competent person. Uncontrolled deviant behavior is delinquent, present in a person who is not capable of. It is very important to begin the formation of personal and social maturity in adolescents with the development of positive, accepting oneself in a positive light, developing the ability to think critically, the ability to set socially important goals and be responsible for one's words and actions. In order for a teenager to learn to make adequate decisions and make the right choice, he must learn about emotions, stress, his own state, and anxiety. Learn to resolve conflicts in cultural ways, without insulting the enemy and harming him. Learn how to behave, with negative criticism, know adequate ways of self-defense. To be able to say “no” to yourself, resist bad habits and learn to respect your body and lead a healthy lifestyle.
Generally speaking, prevention is a system of public, state, social, medical, psychological and educational activities focused on preventing, neutralizing the main reasons and circumstances that defiantly affect the manifestation of social deviations in a teenager.
Prevention of delinquent behavior will be really effective if it is applied on the basis of: good school performance, an emotionally positive and satisfying system of relationships with others, mainly those closest to them, and an important component of psychological protection. Compliance with all the necessary conditions will ensure the harmonious development of the individual and minimize the occurrence of delinquent inclinations.
Prevention of delinquent behavior also has three approaches. According to the first, the formation of deviations in psychophysical development is prevented. For the second, the transition of developmental deviations into more chronic forms is prevented. The third approach is the social and labor adaptation of deviant personalities.
Social pedagogy sees prevention as evidence-based and timely actions taken that are aimed at: preventing all possible (biological, psychological, social) circumstances and conditions of minors who are at risk; protection, maintenance and preservation of an acceptable standard of living and good health of the adolescent; assistance to a teenager in his own achievements of socially significant goals and the disclosure of his potential, abilities, talents. There is also a list of preventive measures: eliminating, compensating, controlling preventive work and preventing circumstances that can cause social deviations. The effectiveness of such activities will be high if several components are included with them: focus on eradicating the causes of internal conflicts in a teenager and in the social and natural environment, at the same time creating conditions due to which a teenager will gain the experience he needs to solve individual problems; learning skills that contributed to the achievement of goals; preventing the emergence of problems and solving those that have already arisen, teaching strategies for resolving conflicts.
In general, in the prevention of delinquent behavior, two main approaches can be distinguished that can bring up a noble person from a teenager in the best way and in a timely manner - this is education and training.
Forms of delinquent behavior
Delinquent behavior exists in many forms, but the most common and severe are crime and prostitution.
When studying crime, researchers consider many factors that influence its dynamics. Among them: occupation, social status, level of education, degree of involvement of a person in public life. Crime has a declassing factor in it, it means the weakening or complete destruction of the relationship between the individual and the social group. The question of the ratio of social and biological factors that have an impact on the formation of preconditions for criminal behavior in a person is also being studied. There is always crime and, unfortunately, it will always exist in society; it cannot be eradicated, at least not now. A person is either born with genes in which he has a predisposition to commit crimes, and it can develop and manifest itself under the influence of certain factors, or the conditions of society and the circumstances of a person’s life push him to commit crimes. Therefore, crime is a kind of reflection of human vices. Perhaps society needs to forget about utopian ideas, about the eradication of crime as a social pathology and keeping it at a socially tolerable acceptable level.
Drug addiction is a very terrible phenomenon, because this disaster has destroyed a huge number of human lives and mows down new victims every day. Drug addiction brings great sacrifices to society, and most of all the severity of its consequences is displayed on the person himself, the quality of his life and his loved ones. And all the time people hope that they will find an effective way to deal with it, and even more so to prevent it.
Sociological studies show results that reflect the main motives for using drugs - this is the desire to experience special sensations and the thirst for euphoria. Statistics show that most beginner drug addicts are young people, even teenagers, and due to the peculiarities of their growing up, the restructuring of the hormonal system, they have vague sensations, and in order to calm their raging feelings, they begin to look for different ways of relaxation, among the most popular - smoking, alcohol and drug addiction. Immaturity, frivolity, influence of the company and carelessness have become decisive factors in the emergence of addiction. Most drug use among young people occurs in the circle of the group, sometimes the only thing that unites these people is drugs, and not other common interests that are socially acceptable. Many drug addicts use drugs in crowded places, for example, on the streets, in a cinema, on the beach, in the yard, sometimes they are so eager to take a dose that they don’t care where they are. Social, economic and cultural measures can be used against drug addiction, but medical, psychological and legal measures have the greatest impact.
Prostitution is also a form of delinquent behavior, but in some countries of the world, they don’t talk about it like that, they equate it with ordinary work. Prostitution is understood as the process of sexual relations with a person with whom they are not married and do not have love feelings or sympathies, and receive payment for them. It is important to distinguish that prostitution is neither extramarital sex, nor mercenary marital relations, if the individuals sympathize with each other. The emergence of prostitution is associated with the distribution of labor, the development of megacities and monogamy. In our society, the fact of the presence of prostitution has been hidden for a very long time, and such a long concealment, and then exposure, has led many people to a state of horror. But always what is forbidden causes unhealthy interest. From history it is known that there were three forms of policy towards prostitution. Prohibitionism is a ban, abolitionism is explanatory and educational work for preventive purposes, with the absence of prohibitions and registration and regulation, that is, registration and medical supervision. Then they evaluated all three methods, and came to the conclusion that the bans had no effect, and the repressions were ineffective, and neither legal nor medical regulation could affect the eradication of the problem of prostitution.
Delinquent behavior examples
Examples of delinquent behavior are best described according to their types.
Types of delinquent behavior: administrative violations, disciplinary offense, crime.
Administrative crimes are manifested in petty hooliganism - obscene language in crowded places, insulting attitude towards others, it also includes traffic violations and other actions that serve to violate public order and people's peace.
An example of delinquent behavior is the use of alcohol in public places, transport and actions committed while intoxicated, which offend the honor of citizens and destroy public morality. Prostitution, distribution of pornography, exhibitionism, as a crime, entails administrative punishment and responsibility in relation to the law on administrative offenses.
A disciplinary act is a type of delinquent behavior, and is expressed in illegal non-performance or improper performance by the worker of his labor duties, absenteeism without significant reasons, drinking alcohol, drugs during working hours, coming to work under the influence of alcohol, violation of security rules, and entails responsible for labor law.
Crime, as the most dangerous type of delinquent crime, is expressed in acts that endanger society. Prohibited under threat of punishment by the Criminal Code. Such acts include: murder, theft, kidnapping, car theft, terrorism, vandalism, rape, fraud, trafficking in drugs and psychotropic substances. These crimes, although not all are listed here, are the most severely punished under the Criminal Code. Depending on the severity of the committed act, different penalties are applied in the amount of community service and minor fines, up to and including imprisonment. And they concern individuals who have reached the age of sixteen, sometimes fourteen. If the person who committed the crime has not reached the age required for criminal punishment, he or she is brought to responsibility of an educational nature (strict reprimand, referral to a specialized educational institution, community service).
Delinquent and criminal behavior are the most dangerous, because a delinquent teenager who commits criminal acts is very dangerous. He is very negative and distrustful towards society and the law does not stop him until he is punished by this law.
Torts can be civil law: causing moral damage, damage to the property of a person or organization, discrediting the reputation of a legal entity or an individual. Such actions are punishable by civil law.
Different types of delinquent behavior are subject to social condemnation and are also formalized by the state in legal norms, by describing the signs that characterize and define as violations, for which different types of responsibility are introduced in the legislation.
Speaker of the Medical and Psychological Center "PsychoMed"
Characteristics of deviant behavior
In some modern studies, the concept of "deviant behavior" is often correlated with another type of behavior - delinquent. But in reality, these concepts, despite their consonance and some identity, still do not coincide.
Deviant human behavior is a multifaceted concept. On the one hand, it is defined as an act of a person, his action, which does not correspond to generally accepted and formal norms and standards in society. On the other hand, deviant behavior is a special social phenomenon that is expressed in mass forms of human behavior and activity. At the same time, these forms also do not correspond to the officially established norms and standards that have developed in a particular society.
It is important to realize that deviation is a deviation, but it may not always be negative. Therefore, two types of deviations from social norms are distinguished at once:
- Positive deviations from social norms, which are aimed at getting rid of outdated and irrelevant standards and norms. This contributes to a qualitative change in the social system, without which society cannot develop further and reach a completely new level of its development.
- Negative deviations from social norms - in other words, they are called dysfunctional, because they can disorganize the social system, lead it to inevitable destruction. This, in turn, becomes the cause of deviant behavior of members of society who are dissatisfied with the prevailing circumstances and seek to demonstrate their dissatisfaction with all their strength and actions.
Figure 2. Forms of deviant behavior. Author24 - online exchange of student papers
Deviant behavior can be of several types:
- First, it is innovation, which implies agreement with the general goals of society, but at the same time the rejection of generally accepted ways that could help achieve the goals;
- Secondly, ritualism is associated with the denial of the goals of a particular society and the absurd exaggeration of the ways to achieve them;
- Thirdly, retreatism is the refusal of a person or group of persons from socially approved goals and, accordingly, the rejection of traditional and customary ways to achieve them.
The last type of deviant behavior is rebellion. He denies both goals and ways to achieve goals, but at the same time seeks to replace them with completely new ones. Rebels should include revolutionaries who strive for a radical break in all social relations. At the same time, they can offer new ways to achieve goals, or they can simply destroy the old ones without the possibility of alternatives.
Figure 3. Causes of deviant behavior. Author24 - online exchange of student papers
The essence of delinquent behavior
Delinquent behavior is also antisocial behavior of a person, which is manifested in his actions. It can be any action or inaction in relation to the current situation. Delinquent acts can harm an individual or society as a whole.
Remark 1
Unlike deviant behavior, delinquent behavior is more of a misdemeanor than a deliberate crime.
Figure 4. Delinquent behavior. Author24 - online exchange of student papers
Adolescent delinquency is of great interest. At this age, a person most often commits various misconduct, both intentional and unconscious. The growth of such offenses and the lack of their prevention can lead to the fact that delinquent behavior will be perceived by a person as a norm. As a result, in adulthood, this will lead to an increase in the proportion of serious violent crimes that will be committed by the same people who have not undergone preventive classes or educational conversations.
More often, delinquent behavior is presented in the form of causing harm. This is due to the encroachment of the dilinquent on a person, his rights and freedoms. This also includes property, which he can spoil, following some of his own motives. Various types of delinquent behavior, despite their relative innocence in comparison with deviant behavior, are still condemned by society. They are formalized by the state in the rules of law by describing the features that characterize them, and defining them as offenses. For delinquent acts, the law establishes a variety of types of social or criminal liability (which rarely goes beyond administrative responsibility and community service).
There are several types of delinquent behavior:
- Firstly, delinquent behavior includes administrative offenses - violation of traffic rules, petty hooliganism. Smoking or drinking alcohol in public places is also considered an administrative offense.
- Secondly, a disciplinary offense is a delinquent - an unlawful, guilty and intentional failure to fulfill one's labor duties. Such delinquent offenses entail disciplinary liability, which is provided for in labor legislation.
Such offenses include: absenteeism for an unreasonable reason, appearing at work in an inappropriate condition, drug or toxic intoxication, violation of labor protection rules.
If delinquent behavior is not corrected in time, then a rather negative picture will turn out: a person who perceives his behavior as the norm will continue to commit crimes, only more serious ones. The normality of such
