Deviant Behavior of Youth in the Context of Psychology and Pedagogy

Abstract

Introduction. The most important national mission of any state is the formation of sustainable and healthy society. Priority object of national interests is the youth, because the future of society and state depends on the habitual behavior, lifestyle, personal qualities of modern youth. Methods. According to political scientists and sociologists, the criterion defining the concept of “social norm” is its impact on social welfare. If this impact is destructive and represents a real threat to the physical and social survival of a person, it is considered the boundary that separates norm from deviation. Results. In social pedagogy, deviant behavior is defined as the type of abnormal behavior associated with the violation of social norms and rules of behavior characteristic of the relevant age, micro-social relations (family, school) and minor gender-age social groups. Deviant behavior should be considered within the medical norm and not identified with mental illnesses or pathological disorders. Most researchers consider the violation of social norms and norms of behavior as the main criterion for deviations and consider this phenomenon in term of “adaptation (socialization) – disadaptation (de-socialization)”. Discussion. Deviant behavior is a type of abnormal behavior of a mentally healthy person, leading to his/her social maladjustment as a result of steady violation of social and moral norms and values adopted in a given society. The study proved that deviations are characterized by various behavioral signs (abnormalities). Conclusion. Analysis of psychological and pedagogical literature allowed us to identify the following factors influencing formation and development of various deviant behavior forms: socio-economic, sociocultural, biological, psychological, pedagogical, subcultural.