Homelessness and neglect: on the nature of the phenomena and the correlation between legal terms

Abstract

The authors of the article carry out the normative and doctrinal analysis of the terms “homelessness” and “neglect”, and identify the reasons and conditions of these antisocial phenomena in Russian society.  The research object is the legal and pedagogical aspects of the process of prevention of neglect and homelessness of minors and the activities of public authorities both in Russia and abroad. The research subject is the terms “homelessness” and “neglect” as legal terms. Special attention is given to the reasons of homelessness and neglect of juveniles, in the first place, biological and social orphanage. The research is based on the dialectical, formal-logical (dogmatical), historical-legal, systems, linguistic and some other methods of scientific cognition. The priority methods were the sociological and formal-legal methods and the method of comparative jurisprudence. The scientific novelty of the research consists in the fact that based on the analysis of legal and essential roots of the two phenomena, the authors conclude that despite being formalized, they require fundamental review of the approaches to study and identification. It is necessary to transform the understanding of the model of juvenile behaviour which is connected with the recently changed basic scientific approaches in pedagogical psychology and social pedagogics. Taking into account the size of the problem of orphanage, the authors suggest aiming public social politics not only at the protection of rights of orphans and their adoption, but also at avoiding the cases of deprivation of parental care. The most active instrument in this context is the prevention of social orphanage by the child protection services which includes pedagogical, psychological, legal, social, educational and medical assistance to families with and without family disadvantages risk factors.