Deviant and delinquent personality behavior. Deviant and delinquent behavior. Main forms of deviation Deviant and delinquent behavior of adolescents

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 norms,

b) written standards. 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 recorded in the constitution, criminal law and other legal laws, compliance with which is guaranteed by the state

2) unwritten - informal norms and rules of behavior, compliance with which is not guaranteed by the legal aspects of the state. They are fixed only by traditions, customs, etiquette, manners, i.e., some conventions, or tacit agreements between people about what is considered proper, correct, befitting behavior.

Violation of formal norms is called delinquent(criminal) behavior, and violation of informal norms is deviant (deviant) behavior.

How are they different 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, and the behavior of representatives of other classes, especially lower ones, to be a deviation. Deviant behavior is relative because it relates only to the cultural norms of a given group. But delinquent behavior is absolutely in relation to the laws; robbery by representatives of the lower social classes can, from their point of view, be considered a normal form of income or a way of establishing social justice. But this is not a deviation, but a crime, since there is absolute norm- a legal law that makes robbery 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. In Moscow alone there are more than 1,000 brothels and firms providing intimate services. In elite and street prostitution, 70% are non-Muscovites.

Delinquency. Theft, bribery, robbery or murder violate the fundamental laws of the state guaranteeing individual rights and are subject to criminal prosecution. Criminals are put on trial, their punishment is determined and different terms(depending on the severity of the criminal act), they are referred to correctional or hard labor, sent to prison, or a suspended measure of restraint is determined (partial restriction of rights). This is an extremely wide class of phenomena - from ticketless travel to the murder of a person.

Crimes include fraud, theft, production of false documents, bribery, industrial espionage, vandalism, theft, burglary, auto theft, arson, prostitution, gambling and other types of illegal activities.

Deviantness. In contrast, acts such as exposing genitals, defecating or having sex in public, swearing, speaking loudly or in an agitated manner, do not violate criminal law, but are contrary to the code of conduct. The only way of punishment is bringing to administrative responsibility, paying a fine, verbal condemnation of people around you or disapproval, sidelong glances from passers-by.

Forms of deviant behavior include criminality, alcoholism, drug addiction, prostitution, homosexuality, gambling, mental disorder, suicide.

Reference

The suicide rate is approximately 3 times higher than the homicide rate. The suicide rate is calculated per 100,000 inhabitants. In 1987, in the USSR it was 19, in Germany - 21, in France - 22, in the USA - 12.

The suicide rate among men is 3 times higher than among women, and in active age (25 - 39 years) - even 6 times (Sociol. Research, 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 its part. Deviation is any violation of norms, and delinquency is only serious, entailing criminal punishment. In sociology, both broad and narrow interpretations are equally applicable.

Characteristic deviant behavior - cultural relativism. In other words, the relativity of any social norms.

Explanatory example

According to the psychiatrist, an elderly woman entered a Moscow metro carriage in the summer of 1995. On his head is a motorcycle helmet with the visor down. On his hands are police leggings. Before sitting down, she placed a board on the seat.

Who is she - normal or abnormal? According to the psychiatrist, she is completely normal person. You and I are crazy. The woman put up psychotropic protection against the aggression emitted by others. In alternative medicine this is quite normal.

So, social norms are a relative thing, as is deviation from them, i.e. deviance. The norm for some becomes a deviation for others. In culture, in general, everything is relative. It all depends on the angle of view. For subway passengers, a woman entering is a deviation; for a psychiatrist, she is the norm. But the opinion of a psychiatrist is not the ultimate truth. Some may find his judgment schizophrenic.

Here's another situation. The patient consults the doctor:

Doctor, what is the first symptom that a person has gone crazy?

If he considers himself a completely normal person.

Among some primitive tribes in primitive times and today, cannibalism, gerontocide (killing old people), incest and infanticide (killing children) were considered normal phenomena caused by economic reasons (scarcity of food) or social structure (allowing 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, we need to talk not about culture, but about subculture. An example of such groups is political parties, government, social class or stratum, believers, youth, women, pensioners, national minorities. Thus, failure to attend a church service is a deviation from the position of a believer, but the norm from the position of an unbeliever. The etiquette of the noble class required being addressed by first name and patronymic, and the diminutive name (“Kolka” or “Nikitka”) - the norm of address in the lower strata - was considered a deviation by the former.

In modern society, such forms of behavior are considered deviant. Killing in war is permitted and even rewarded, but in peacetime it is punished. In Paris, prostitution is legal (legalized) and not condemned, but 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, criteria for deviance change over time, even within the same culture.

In the USSR in the 60s and 70s, school teachers 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 to the norm.

Let's conclude: Deviation in a broad sense is relative to: 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 norms causes personal harm, it is punished by society to a lesser extent or not at all than a violation that causes 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 home.

2. If deviation from the norm threatens human life, it is punished more severely than damage to property or public order.

Example serve as transport incidents and road accidents.

3. Deviant behavior that causes great material damage and is truly threatening human life or honor, or endangering state security, moves into another category of behavior and is qualified as a crime.

Example- trial over traitors to the motherland.

4. Minimal disapproved deviations are tolerated more calmly by society, since they are considered a random event that can happen to any person. Examples are given above.

5. The limits of society’s tolerance for deviations vary different cultures or in different situations in the same culture.

Examples. Killing a person in modern society is regarded as a crime, and in primitive society it is regarded as making a sacrifice to the gods. Attacking a person and killing him is a crime in modern society. But defending oneself from a criminal, resulting in the death of the attacker, is regarded as heroism. The murder of a fellow countryman in time of peace is severely punished, but the murder of a foreigner, who in time of war is considered an enemy or invader, is respected and brings glory.

In a broad sense, “deviation” means any behavior or actions that do not correspond to:

a) unwritten norms,

b) written standards. 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 recorded in the constitution, criminal law and other legal laws, compliance with which is guaranteed by the state

Violation of formal norms is called delinquent(criminal) behavior, and violation of informal norms is deviant(deviant) behavior.

How are they different from each other?

It 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, and the behavior of representatives of other classes, especially lower ones, to be a deviation. Deviant behavior is relative because it relates only to the cultural norms of a given group. But delinquent behavior is absolutely in relation to the laws; robbery by representatives of the lower social classes can, from their point of view, be considered a normal form of income 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.

Help'" In Russia in 1994, according to the CIA, there were 6,000 organized criminal groups scattered throughout Russia and 30 other countries. In Moscow alone there are more than 1,000 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 guaranteeing individual rights and are subject to criminal prosecution. Criminals are put on trial, they are given a punishment and for different terms (depending on the severity of the criminal act), they are sent to correctional or hard labor, they are sent to prison or they are given a suspended measure of restraint (partial restriction of rights). This is an extremely wide class of phenomena - from ticketless travel to the murder of a person.

Crimes include fraud, theft, production of false documents, bribery, industrial espionage, vandalism, theft, burglary, auto theft, arson, prostitution, gambling and other types of illegal activities.

Deviance. On the contrary, acts such as exposing genitals, defecating or having sex in public places, using foul language, speaking loudly or in an agitated manner do not violate criminal law, but they do violate codes of conduct. The only way of punishment is bringing to administrative responsibility, paying a fine, verbal condemnation of people around you or disapproval, sidelong glances from passers-by.

Forms of deviant behavior include criminality, alcoholism, drug addiction, prostitution, homosexuality, gambling, mental disorder, and suicide.

Deviant and delinquent behavior

The establishment in a community of certain rules of behavior determined by moral, legal and ethical standards allows people to coexist harmoniously, and also significantly influences the development of society as a whole. However, despite this, some individuals, for various reasons, refuse to accept and follow the rules, thereby demonstrating deviant and delinquent behavior.

In general, deviation is understood as a deviation from any norms and concepts. Just like any other type, deviant behavior can have its negative and positive sides. So, for example, an artist’s vision of the world, which differs from previously accepted canons, may also be deviant behavior, but at the same time, in general, has a positive effect on the development of culture.

However, the positive manifestation of this type of behavior is in reality extremely rare, and it is worth remembering, when characterizing deviant behavior, that this is, first of all, a manifestation of insufficient socialization of the individual.

The extreme negative form of behavioral deviation is delinquent behavior. This term comes from the English meaning of offence. In other words, we can say that delinquent behavior is the commission of illegal actions directed against society and prosecuted by criminal law.

Adolescents are more susceptible to the manifestation of deviation, for whom this type of behavior is practically a natural stage in the search for their own place in society. At the same time, deviant behavior of adolescents can manifest itself quite clearly or to an insignificant extent.

The fact is that in adolescence, a person tends to constantly experiment, discovering new knowledge and hobbies. The results of such behavior largely depend on the individual’s environment, which affects his further socialization. So, for example, if in adolescence a person communicated in a small society, which is characterized by immoral or asocial behavior, there is a high probability that deviation will become the norm for him in later life.

Types of deviant behavior

In practical psychology, there are three types of deviant behavior of an individual:

A disciplinary violation is a deviation from moral standards of behavior without causing harm to others. This includes such manifestations as violation of the charter educational institutions or employer enterprises, generational conflict, the formation of informal youth movements, etc.
Offenses or crimes - manifestation of delinquent behavior with the bringing varying degrees damage.
Mental disorders caused by diseases. In this case, when identifying an individual with similar manifestations, treatment and isolation from society are mandatory.

Based on the above, we can identify various reasons for deviant behavior:

Biological factors - psychological illnesses hereditary or acquired as a result of injury, anatomical deviations that complicate the process of socialization, physical disabilities not accepted by society.
Psychological factors - violation of basic mental functions, emotional instability, pronounced individual character traits, neuropsychiatric diseases.
Social and pedagogical factors - insufficient education, poor attitude in the family or educational institutions, asocial or immoral environment, cruel treatment.
Socio-economic factors - the division of society into social strata, from the point of view of financial well-being, mass poverty, which contributes to an increase in criminal activities, and the accompanying possibility of self-realization.
Moral and ethical factors - violation of the moral principles inherent in a humane society, loss of spiritual values, narrow emphasis on material things, neglect of the value of human life.

Negative deviant behavior, examples of which can be found literally everywhere today, is closely related to low level intellectual development of individuals, the quality of education in general, and is also due to a limited range of interests, primarily of young people. For example, according to statistics, the tendency towards delinquent behavior is observed to a greater extent in adolescents from dysfunctional families, as well as in families where children with early age not given enough attention.

There are frequent cases of negative deviant behavior in well-to-do families, where parental attention is often replaced by indulgence of whims and material benefits. The percentage of deviation is also significantly higher in small, underdeveloped settlements, where there is no opportunity to organize cultural leisure for youth ( Sport halls, libraries, theaters, art clubs, etc.).

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Deviant and delinquent behavior. Basic forms of deviation

Deviance is an unusual, but stable deviation from statistical norms. Deviant is a persistent pattern of action, behavior or thinking that is not typical of the general population.

Deviant behavior (from the English deviation - deviation) - actions that do not correspond to the officially established or actually established moral and legal norms in a given society (social group) and lead the offender (deviant) to isolation, treatment, correction or punishment.

Typically, we evaluate behavior as deviant depending on whether it receives a negative evaluation and causes a hostile reaction. Thus, it is an evaluative definition imposed on specific behaviors by various social groups.

Comparing different cultures shows that the same actions are approved in some societies and unacceptable in others. The definition of behavior as deviant depends on the time, place and group of people. For example, if ordinary people they break into crypts, they are branded as desecrators of ashes, but if archaeologists do this, then they are spoken of with approval as scientists pushing the boundaries of knowledge. However, in both cases, strangers invade the burial places and take away some objects from there. One more example. The sociability, modern clothing and open face of a European woman are unacceptable in many traditional Muslim countries.

These examples suggest that deviance cannot be an objective characteristic of human behavior. Society itself decides whether or not to consider some behavior deviant. This does not mean that such phenomena as murder, theft, sexual perversion, psychical deviations, alcoholism, gambling and child abuse, etc., might not occur if they were not given social definitions. It's just how people define behavior and how they specifically respond to it that matters.

The same behavior may be considered by one group as a deviation, and by another as the norm. Moreover, much depends on the social context in which the behavior occurs. For example, appearing drunk at work causes discontent among others, but at a New Year's party, such behavior of its participants is quite natural. Premarital sex and divorce, which were highly frowned upon in society just a generation ago, are now generally accepted as the norm. Most people view deviant behavior as bad, as behavior that represents social problems. The reason for such assessments is the result of the negative or destructive consequences that most deviations from the norm entail.

Deviant behavior is behavior that is not a violation of criminal law, that is, it is not illegal, but simply does not coincide with accepted standards in society. For example, homosexuality is purely deviant behavior in the narrow sense of the word. In the recent past, homosexuality was considered a criminal behavior and was punished accordingly, but nowadays society has become more tolerant of such deviations.

Features of deviant behavior: 1) its relativity (what is a deviation for one group is the norm for another (for example, intimate relationships in the family - the norm, in the work collective - deviation);

2) historical nature (what was considered a deviation before is now the norm, and vice versa; for example, private entrepreneurship in Soviet times and today);

3) ambivalence b(deviation can be positive (heroism) and negative (laziness)).

The negative consequences of deviation are obvious. If individuals are unable to fulfill certain social norms or consider their fulfillment unnecessary for themselves, then their actions cause damage to society (harm other people, distort and even interrupt significant social ties and relationships, bring discord into the life of a group or society in in general).

The classification of types and forms of deviant behavior can be based on various grounds. Depending on the subject (i.e. who violates the norm), deviant behavior can be individual or group. From the point of view of the object (i.e., which norm is violated), deviant behavior is divided into the following categories:

1 is abnormal behavior that deviates from the norms of mental health and implies the presence of overt or hidden psychopathology;

2- this is asocial or antisocial behavior that violates some social and cultural norms, especially legal ones. When such actions are relatively minor, they are called misdemeanors, and when they are serious and punishable by criminal law, they are called crimes.

The main forms of deviant behavior in modern conditions include crime, alcoholism, prostitution, and drug addiction. Each form of deviation has its own specifics.

Crime. Crime is a reflection of the vices of humanity. And so far no society has been able to eradicate it. Factors influencing crime include: social status, occupation, education, poverty as an independent factor. Big influence The state of crime was influenced by the transition to market relations: the emergence of such phenomena as competition, unemployment, and inflation.

Alcoholism. In fact, alcohol has entered our lives, becoming an element of social rituals, a prerequisite for official ceremonies, holidays, some ways of spending time, and solving personal problems. However, this situation comes at a cost to society. Statistics show that 90% of cases of hooliganism, 90% of aggravated rape, and almost 40% of other crimes are related to intoxication. Murders, robberies, assaults, and infliction of grievous bodily harm in 70% of cases are committed by persons under the influence of alcohol; about 50% of all divorces are also related to drunkenness.

The consequences of drunkenness and alcoholism are economic and material damage from crimes and accidents, costs of treating patients with alcoholism, and maintaining law enforcement agencies. The damage to spiritual and moral relationships in society and family cannot be taken into account materially.

Addiction. The term comes from the Greek words narke - “numbness” and mania - “rabies, madness”. This is a disease that is expressed in physical and (or) mental dependence on narcotic drugs, gradually leading to deep depletion of the physical and mental functions of the body. Drug addiction (narcotism) as a social phenomenon is characterized by the degree of prevalence of the use of drugs or equivalent substances without medical indications, which includes both drug abuse and painful (habitual) use. For many years, drug addiction was considered a phenomenon that belonged exclusively to the Western way of life.

The results of sociological research show that the main motives for drug use are the thirst for pleasure, the desire to experience thrills, and euphoria. And since in most cases we are talking about young people, these motives are strengthened by social immaturity, carelessness, and frivolity. Drug use among young people is very often of a group nature. Many drug addicts take drugs in public places (on the streets, in courtyards, in cinemas, in cafes, on the beaches), some can do this in “any place”.

Most drug addicts are to some extent aware of the danger threatening them and are critical of their addiction. Mostly new young hashish smokers do not see anything wrong with drug use, often even flaunting it. Due to inexperience and ignorance, many people mistake the excitement and high spirits that comes after taking a drug for the beneficial effect of this substance on health. But at a certain stage of physical and mental degradation, most drug addicts are clearly aware of what awaits them next, although they are no longer able to give up this habit.

Suicide. Suicide - the intention to take one's own life, an increased risk of committing suicide. This form of deviant behavior of the passive type is a way of avoiding insoluble problems, from life itself.

World experience in suicide research reveals the main patterns of suicidal behavior. Suicides are more common in highly developed countries, and today there is a tendency for their number to increase.

Finally, there is no doubt about the connection between suicidal behavior and other forms of social deviations, such as drunkenness. A forensic examination found: 68% of men and 31% of women committed suicide while in a state of alcohol intoxication. 12% of men who committed suicide and 20.2% of all men who attempted suicide were registered as chronic alcoholics.

Most social dangerous form Deviation is criminal behavior, which in sociology is called delinquent. The most important feature of delinquent behavior is that, unlike deviant behavior, it is absolute (that is, unacceptable in all social groups of society)

The term “delinquent behavior” refers to a set of illegal acts that are not subject to criminal punishment, but are already a minor offense.

If behavior that is not approved by public opinion is called deviant, then behavior that is not approved by the law is delinquent. The line between delinquent and criminal behavior is where the scope of administrative responsibility ends and the scope of criminal acts begins. For example, if a teenager is registered in the children's room of the police, does not attend school, appears in a drunken company in public places, his behavior is delinquent, but not criminal. It will become criminal when he commits an act regarded by law as a criminal offense and is convicted by law as a criminal.

The population group most susceptible to delinquency is young people, primarily those who grow up and undergo socialization in a criminal or deviant environment. In ordinary terminology, such an environment or family is called dysfunctional. Most often, a tendency towards delinquent behavior arises under the influence of drinking parents, who have often been in prison.

Delinquent offenses 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 citizens). Drinking alcoholic beverages on the streets, stadiums, squares, parks, in all types of public transport and in other public places is also considered an administrative offense; appearing in public places while drunk, which offends human dignity and public morality; bringing a minor to a state of intoxication by parents or other persons. Such torts as prostitution, distribution of pornographic materials or objects, etc., the list of which in the legislation on administrative offenses is quite extensive, also entail administrative liability.

A disciplinary offense as a type of delinquent behavior is an unlawful, culpable failure or improper performance by an employee of his or her job duties. Disciplinary offenses (absenteeism without good reason, absenteeism without good reason by students, showing up at work in a state of alcohol, drug or toxic intoxication, drinking alcohol, using narcotic or toxic drugs at the workplace and during working hours, violating labor protection rules, etc. .) entail disciplinary liability provided for by labor legislation.

This type of delinquent behavior, such as crime, poses a particular danger to society. Crimes are only those socially dangerous acts that are provided for by criminal law and are prohibited by it under threat of punishment. These include theft and murder, car theft and vandalism (desecration of structures and damage to property), terrorism and rape, fraud and drug trafficking and psychotropic substances. These and many other crimes entail the most stringent measures of state coercion - punishment and other measures of criminal liability ( public Works, fine, arrest, imprisonment, etc.).

So, in this work we examined the most important theoretical problems that arise when studying the psychology of deviant behavior.

We tried to find out what deviant behavior is and what its causes are. We looked at what is meant by deviant behavior today.

As mentioned above, deviant (deviant) behavior can be understood as:

1) an act or actions of a person that do not correspond to officially established or actually established norms (standards, patterns) in a given society;

2) a social phenomenon expressed in mass forms of human activity that do not correspond to officially established or actually established norms (standards, templates) in a given society.

Deviations can occur in the sphere of individual behavior; they represent the actions of specific people prohibited by social norms. At the same time, in every society there are many deviant subcultures, the norms of which are condemned by the generally accepted, dominant morality of society. Such deviations are defined as group deviations.

The significance of studying these problems is obvious: deviant behavior is a social and psychological phenomenon that has some deviations from recognized norms and laws, and is sometimes associated with certain antisocial behavior of people. The deviations themselves can take the most different shapes: criminals, hermits, ascetics, saints, geniuses, etc.

It is possible to explain such behavior, reveal its causes, and find effective ways and means of prevention only through a deep study of the psychology of deviant behavior.

What are deviant and delinquent deviations expressed in?

Deviant and delinquent behavior are types of actions that do not correspond to social patterns, which represent the foundation of socialization. In the general understanding, torts mean the commission of illegal activities, and deviation is actions that go beyond written and unwritten social norms.

Written norms include formally recorded norms in legal legislation. Unwritten are informal rules of activity, fixed by customs, traditions and etiquette.

Typology and causes of deviance

In sociology, this term refers to the actions of an individual that differ from the attitudes that are rooted in a specific social environment and serve to preserve social order. Deviations can be either negative, leading to the destruction of the system, or positive, with the goal of combating outdated canons. But both demonstrations of deviance project an unwillingness or inability to adapt to generally accepted prescriptions, indicating poor adaptability skills.

However, regarding deviant and delinquent behavior, the actions of adolescents must be considered separately. Everything depends directly on the individual qualities of the child and the level of his mental and physical development. According to E. V. Zmanovskaya, under 5 years of age, children do not have their own understanding of generally known attitudes, and control is entrusted to adults. Awareness of generally accepted principles appears at the age of about 9 years.

Mental disorders, alcoholism, gambling, drug addiction, crime, prostitution or suicide, each such deviation from standards is a form of deviant behavior.

Based on the opinion of V.D. Mendeleviya, these manifestations can be divided into categories according to the methods of violation and connection with reality:

delinquent behavior as a form of criminally prosecutable acts;
pathocharacterological, explained by pathological transformations of character acquired in the process of education;
addictive - the desire to isolate yourself from reality with the help of certain substances or regular repetition of monotonous actions to obtain strong emotions;
psychopathological, based on the demonstration of symptoms of diseases and disorders associated with the psyche;
based on abilities significantly above the statistical average.

The most reliable, regarding the conditions for the formation of deviations, are considered to be the conclusions of theories from the sociological field:

psychological background: dementia, psychopathy or degeneracy;
infection with bad spiritual and cultural views of representatives of the upper classes from the lower class;
vagueness of standard motivation formulas in difficult situations;
inequality - differences in opportunities to satisfy needs provokes an antisocial attitude among representatives of the lower class;
conflict of interests between different communities and society;
class-based government policies that supposedly protect the interests of the economically dominant class and oppress the rights of the oppressed classes;
anomie - devaluation of cultural aspects of life, conscience, worldview, as a consequence of social development by revolutionary methods;
Natural, man-made and social disasters also play an important role, increasing inequality, having a negative impact on the psyche of individuals, and undermining the organization of law enforcement structures.

Typology and causes of delinquency

Delinquent behavior refers to illegal acts aimed at causing harm to any people or society.

A qualitative typology of forms of delinquency can be carried out based on the violated branches of law and the degree of risk to society. Formally, torts are divided into several categories:

Civil law. This is the infliction of moral or property damage to an individual or legal entity, for example, discrediting a person’s reputation, etc.
Administrative ones are expressed in violation of administrative laws regulated by the state and its subjects: begging, smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages in unspecified places, etc.
Disciplinary - offenses characterized by non-compliance with articles labor code: showing up at work while drunk, absenteeism, intentional damage to the employer’s property, etc.
Criminal offenses consisting of activities contrary to the criminal legislation of the country: fraud, robbery, hooliganism, theft, rape, murder.

These factors include the following:

traumatic experiences provoked by parents ignoring the child’s needs for affection, care and tenderness;
repeated use of psychological or corporal punishment;
difficulty in developing a moral consciousness due to lack of paternal influence;
fixation on circumstances acute injury in young years;
indulgence of children's whims, lack of parental demands;
intense stimulation;
lack of clear understanding of the rules due to inconsistent requirements;
change of guardians;
constant family quarrels, especially dangerous cases of father’s cruelty towards mother;
unfavorable personal characteristics - an overly demanding head of the family and an indulgent mother;
absorption of anti-social values from the outside from a young age.

How to distinguish between the two concepts?

What is the difference between deviant and delinquent behavior?

Deviant and delinquent behavior can be distinguished by to the following principle: deviance is relative, and delinquency is absolute. The relationship between them is like the relationship between the particular and the whole, genus and species.

Any illegal antisocial action is a deviation, but not every deviant act constitutes delinquency. Something that is common to one individual or group may be considered unnatural to another person or subculture.

The difference between these concepts is that the problem of deviant properties relates only to the cultural component of individual associations. Delinquency has a direct bearing on the need to comply with regulations.

Deviant and delinquent behavior

While in society, a person must comply with generally accepted norms. The quality to which he demonstrates this characterizes his cultural level of development. In case of deviation from accepted norms, his behavior will be called deviant or deviant, and formal ones - criminal and, as is also called, delinquent.

Deviant and delinquent personality behavior

These two types of behavior differ in that:

the first is relative, because it relates to the cultural norms of a purely one group;
the second is absolute in relation to the norms established by the state.

For a clearer understanding of these two concepts, let's give an example. People who commit street robbery consider it their, so to speak, job, a form of making money, or, like the Robin Hood of our time, thus fighting for justice in society. But there is a legal law according to which this action should be considered a crime, and this is no longer a deviation (deviant behavior).

In other words, deviant (deviant) - all those actions that contradict expectations, norms, officially established, or established over the years in a certain social group and delinquent - behavior that is considered socially deviant.

If we talk about this in more detail, then:

The concept of “delinquent behavior” refers to individual actions that are illegal, that is, those that deviate from the laws established in a particular society, but also threaten the livelihoods, well-being, and social order of other individuals. In psychology, the actions of such a person are considered delinquent. are called torts, the very behavior of this type is regulated, first of all, through disciplinary rules, laws, and social norms. Society actively condemns and seeks to punish the actions of a delinquent. It is worth noting that the motives for the actions of a lawbreaker are based on an internal conflict between personal aspirations and the interests of society.

If the measure of acceptable behavior in the concept of delinquent behavior is the law, then in deviant behavior it is social norms, standards, and in this case individuals, in order to achieve what they want, are ready to resort to various means. Such individuals become either delinquents or criminals.

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Deviant and delinquent behavior;

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” implies any actions or actions that do not correspond to: a) unwritten norms, b) written norms. In a narrow sense, “deviation” refers only to the first type of inconsistency, and the second type is called delinquent behavior.

Social norms are of two types:

1) WRITTEN – formally recorded in the constitution, criminal law and other legal laws, compliance with which is guaranteed by the state.

2) UNWRITTEN – informal norms and rules of behavior, compliance with which is not guaranteed by the legal aspects of the state.

They are fixed only by traditions, customs, etiquette, manners, i.e. certain conventions, or tacit agreements between people about what is considered proper, correct, decent behavior.

Violation of formal norms is called delinquent (criminal) behavior, and violation of informal norms is called deviant (deviant) behavior. How are they different from each other? Deviant and delinquent behavior can be distinguished as follows. The first is relative, and the second is absolute. 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, and the behavior of representatives of other classes, especially lower ones, to be a deviation. Deviant behavior is relative because it relates only to the cultural norms of a given group. But delinquent behavior is absolute in relation to the laws of the country. Street robbery by representatives of the lower social classes can, from their point of view, be considered a normal form of income 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.

Delinquency. Theft, bribery, robbery or murder violate the fundamental laws of the state guaranteeing individual rights and are subject to criminal prosecution. Criminals are put on trial, they are given a punishment and for different terms (depending on the severity of the criminal act), they are sent to correctional or hard labor, they are sent to prison or they are given a suspended measure of restraint (partial restriction of rights). This is an extremely wide class of phenomena - from ticketless travel to the murder of a person. Crimes include fraud, theft, production of false documents, bribery, industrial espionage, vandalism, theft, burglary, auto theft, arson, prostitution, gambling and other types of illegal activities.

Deviance. In contrast, acts such as exposing genitals, defecating or having sex in public, swearing, speaking loudly or in an agitated manner, do not violate criminal law, but are contrary to the code of conduct. The only way of punishment is bringing to administrative responsibility, paying a fine, verbal condemnation of surrounding people or disapproval, sidelong glances from passers-by. Forms of deviant behavior include criminality, alcoholism, drug addiction, prostitution, homosexuality, gambling, mental disorder, and suicide.

Conclusions: in sociology, deviant behavior is understood as a broader category than the concept of “delinquent behavior.” In other words, the first concept includes the second concept as its component part. Deviation is any violation of 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. Among some primitive tribes in primitive times and today, cannibalism, gerontocide (killing old people), incest and infanticide (killing children) were considered normal phenomena caused by economic reasons (scarcity of food) or social structure (allowing marriage between relatives).

Cultural relativism may be comparative characteristics not only two different societies or eras, but also two or more large social groups within the same society. In this case, we need to talk not about culture, but about subculture. Examples of such groups are political parties, government, social class or stratum, believers, youth, women, pensioners, national minorities. Thus, failure to attend a church service is a deviation from the position of a believer, but the norm from the position of an unbeliever. The etiquette of the noble class required being addressed by first name and patronymic, and the diminutive name (“Kolka” or “Nikitka”) - the norm of address in the lower strata - was considered a deviation by the former.

In modern society, such forms of behavior are considered deviant. Killing in war is permitted and even rewarded, but in peacetime it is punished. In some countries (for example, in Holland), prostitution is legal (legalized) and not condemned, but 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, criteria for deviance change over time, even within the same culture. In the USSR, for centuries, school teachers 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 a deviation to the norm.

Conclusion: deviation in the broad sense relative: a) historical era, b) culture of society. Relativity in sociology has received the special name of relativism.

Sociologists have established the following patterns:

1. If disagreement with norms causes personal harm, it is punished by society to a lesser extent or not at all than a violation that causes 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 home.

2. If deviation from the norm threatens human life, it is punished more severely than damage to property or public order.

Example serve as transport incidents and road accidents.

3. Deviant behavior that causes great material damage, actually threatens human life or honor, or jeopardizes state security, moves into another category of behavior and is classified as a crime.

Example – trial of traitors to the motherland.

4. Minimal disapproved deviations are tolerated more calmly by society, since they are considered a random event that can happen to any person. Examples are given above.

5. The limits of society's tolerance for deviance vary in different cultures or in different situations within the same culture.

Examples. Killing a person in modern society is regarded as a crime, and in primitive society it is regarded as making a sacrifice to the gods. Attacking a person and killing him is a crime in modern society. But defending oneself from 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 war time considered an enemy or invader, commands respect and brings glory.

Step by step, stage by stage, the development of mankind has accumulated experience on issues of human behavior in a given situation. The evolution of human consciousness has made it possible to formulate algorithms of behavior and actions, set the boundaries of acceptable fluctuations in behavior, and brought the sometimes uncontrollable animality in humans under control.

Cities, countries, continents establish rules, orders, laws proven over centuries, to preserve the integrity of the world and society. Society governs and is controlled, influences and is influenced, but there are public and private pacts about maintaining order in relation to humanity, its integrity - as a person and as an individual.

The majority of people who previously lived on earth established a format of behavior based on the experience of the past - the experience of wars, revolutions, the emergence of aggression of one people towards another, in interpersonal relationships - both of a private nature and of entire groups. Thanks to the quality of these rules, the world still exists, and somewhere prospers, if compared with past experience.

But, as in any law and order, there are imperfections that give rise to a distorted understanding of the essence of things. The result of imperfections is deviant and delinquent behavior.

A person does not live only by instincts! His instincts are constantly being supplanted by socio-cultural obligations towards others.

However, any displacement of a person’s inner, built world, or its substitution, can provoke the opposite effect if the material is presented incorrectly. If the presentation is not acceptable, it will not fit in the future medium.

It's easy to explain!

Most actions that are unacceptable by society and that pose a threat, whether moral, ethical or physical, should be called misconduct. Misconduct as a deviation in human behavior, who has not lived in dark times, and not in a primitive age, but is part of a modern civilized society. This activity is an encroachment on foundations, orders, traditions, and law. This behavior is often called deviant behavior.

Deviant behavior, that is, behavior deviating from established norms of society, can manifest itself in any society, age, and every person is susceptible to it. It begins to form from birth!

Any human behavior is formed by:

Family (parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers...)
Relatives (friends, acquaintances, neighbors)
Society (kindergarten, school, university, work...)
Quality of life and standard of living.
Life attitudes and priorities, etc.

Everything that surrounds a person can, to one degree or another, influence the behavior that causes his changes. From the most harmless outbursts of a child’s emotions to serious offenses, they can be classified as one of the forms of deviant behavior.

Let's look at examples of deviant behavior

A child in kindergarten hit or insulted another child

This is an example of the influence not of society as a whole, since the child is small enough to have the opportunity to experience communication with him, but he is influenced by parents, relatives, neighbors, and possibly the media. Today children are often allowed to watch TV. In the process of development and learning, a child draws on the experience of the people around him. Such deviant behavior is provoked by a certain circle, a small society within the family, but the child’s behavior is often considered to be his own sin or, worse, mental instability.

This behavior of the child is criticized, he is scolded or even punished! (first error) Moreover, the deviant behavior was not caused by himself, but by him as an instrument, this behavior was put into action.

An adult and gambling

The situation with a love of gambling is one of the forms of manifestation of deviant behavior. A person is trying to beat, to take the lead - to get a prize. Behind this desire there can be both selfless goals (to win, to help a friend or give to a temple, to feed an old lady...) and a sense of profit (to have wealth, to live better than others, to be in favor with women or men, or to increase self-esteem). Such behavior in the first case seems “positive”, in the second “negative”, but both motives are nothing more than a deviation from the norm established by society. Such a person in society will also be criticized, condemned or alienated.

Of all the above reasons, any of them could have an impact in this case, and even in combination:

The family, in the process of raising and developing the child, did not give instructions for a quality goal, did not develop self-esteem for efforts and achievements through legal and labor means. Society has not created a stable psychological atmosphere for interaction with people (players are often lonely people). The media and TV have formed incorrect attitudes towards getting what they want (advertising beautiful life, where everything is perfect). The quality of life (family quarrels, misunderstanding, envy) and conditions (poverty, misery) could influence the desire to move towards a better life, but in a short time. And self-doubt and an attempt to change reality provoked deviant behavior.

For the same reasons, as a rule, people become alcoholics and drug addicts. Prostitution, homosexuality, etc. are like cause and effect.

A homeless person in a garbage dump, a grandmother with a dozen cats, hippies, punks - all with non-standard behavior. As well as various subcultures. A person’s inability to control themselves and adapt to the framework of public opinion makes their behavior deviant. What does it mean to be criticized and condemned?

But is this correct today in the conditions of developing free relations and diversity of visions of the world?

Society suggests that deviant behavior be made as useful as possible, such as the behavior exhibited by famous artists, great scientists, gifted or sacrificing people. Yes, and these people with deviant behavior! But with “positive”! Their talents and abilities, which are not given to everyone by nature or upbringing, make them separate from the rest of the masses.

Like a child who hits another child, so a policeman who sacrifices his life to save another - deviants. Society is wary of various manifestations of unrest and protests, worries and maintains order. This is not uncommon! And the only fault of the deviant is that society itself did not give the necessary direction in time, attributing the difficulties of learning to a person who is not like himself. While some found the right course on their own, others drowned in criticism from people around them, self-flagellation, uncertainty and fears.

Crime and Punishment

If deviant behavior is not corrected in time:

did not make changes in goal settings, did not try in the family and in society to change the attitude towards methods of education in order to direct the little person on the right path, then deviance is transformed into behavior that is more dangerous for society - delinquent.

Delinquent behavior is born against the background of progressive deviant behavior. This is a cancerous tumor that has metastasized throughout the body. Managing delinquent behavior is very difficult!

This form of behavior no longer expresses only protest, a change in appearance, preferences, a desire to stand out, or to commit petty misbehavior, attracting attention or hiding from it. Delinquent behavior is aimed at achieving a goal by any means, up to the most serious crimes and actual criminal prosecution.

If a deviant player spends his money, and a deviant prostitute offers her body, then the delinquent player is more likely to rob slot machines, and the prostitute uses the client to get drunk, steal money, or infect him with a disease, one of the types of attacks on the life of another person. If the first one propagandizes, the second one will force one to listen, threatening and intimidating. A person becomes a criminal full meaning this word.

Today, cases of ostentatious delinquent behavior among children and adolescents are often observed. The beating, torture, and humiliation of one teenager by another looks depressing. This behavior encourages a person to commit crimes - from petty robbery to violence and murder.

Criminal behavior is neither condoned nor condoned. A person turns into an aggressive, unprincipled, and dangerous creature, both for his family, society and the entire state. Such people require isolation.

This is probably correct, but there are more and more people in the world who want to say: - Please isolate SOCIETY from me!

Deviant and delinquent behavior

The assimilation of social values and norms is the basis of socialization, and norms are the basis of social control. Correlating with the concept of norm is the concept of deviation; If there is no norm, then there can be no deviation from it.

Deviation from generally accepted norms is called in sociology deviant (deviant) behavior.

In a broad sense, the concept of “deviation” means any discrepancy between behavior and any social norm. In a narrow sense, deviance refers to deviations from informal norms. Deviation from legal norms (violation) is called delinquent behavior, as mentioned above, deviation from criminal law - criminal behavior. Thus, the broadest concept is deviant behavior, a narrower one is delinquent behavior, and an even narrower one is criminal behavior.

Deviance can have both a “plus” and a “minus” sign: negatively deviant behavior and positively deviant behavior. For sociology, genius and villainy are completely compatible things: they are simply two types of deviant behavior. But most often, when they talk about deviant behavior, they mean negatively deviant behavior. Delinquent behavior as a form of negative deviance has only a negative assessment.

The most common and socially significant forms of deviant behavior for any society are suicide (suicide), alcoholism, drug addiction, and sexual promiscuity. The degree of prevalence of negative forms of deviant behavior serves as an indicator of the effectiveness of social control.

In simple societies with an undeveloped normative system, deviant behavior is easily diagnosed and controlled. The fewer standards, the less possibility of deviations. In complexly structured societies, including several normative systems and many subcultures, the problem of defining behavior as deviant and controlling it becomes much more complicated.

The task of social control is to prevent deviation from the norm. The same task faces the prevention (prevention) of delinquent and criminal behavior. The concepts of control and prevention are very close (they have similar goals, some common institutions), but are not identical. On the one hand, the concept of control is broader: its object is any social behavior, while the object of prevention is illegal behavior. On the other hand, prevention as a type of social activity includes both monitoring the behavior of individuals and influencing objective social factors (causes and conditions) that contribute to delinquent behavior.

The concept of deviance is relative. Deviant behavior within one culture or community may be considered normal in another. In primitive society (and among some tribes even today), cannibalism, gerontocide (killing old people), incest and infanticide (killing children) were considered normal phenomena caused by economic reasons (scarcity of food) or social structure (allowing marriage between relatives).

But deviance is a relative characteristic not only of two different societies or eras, but also of two or more large social groups within one society. In this case, they speak not about culture, but about subculture. Examples of such groups are believers, youth, women, pensioners, and national minorities. Thus, failure to attend a church service is a deviation from the position of a believer, but the norm from the position of an unbeliever. The etiquette of the noble class required being addressed by first name and patronymic, and the diminutive name (“Kolka” or “Nikitka”) - the norm of address in the lower strata - was considered a deviation by the former.

Killing in war is permitted and even rewarded, but in peacetime it is punished. In some countries, prostitution is legal (legalized), 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.

Criteria for deviance change over time within one noah and the same culture.

After World War II, smoking became widespread and socially accepted in the United States. Smoking in an apartment or office was considered normal behavior. But in 1957, scientists proved that smoking is the cause of many serious diseases, including lung cancer. Gradually, the general public began a campaign against smoking. And today in the United States, smokers have become an object of universal condemnation.

In the USSR in the 60-70s, school teachers 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 a deviation to the norm.

Thus, deviation is relative to a) the historical era, b) the culture of society. Relativity in sociology is called relativism.

Deviance, as mentioned above, is a deviation from cultural norms, i.e. cultural deviance. It should not be identified with mental deviance, with the so-called “mental anomalies.” Very often in mental anomalies (various types of accentuation, psychopathy, mental retardation, etc.), i.e. deviations from the mental norm, they see the cause of crimes as deviations from the social norm.

Recently, many studies have been conducted that have established that among criminals there are many people (according to various sources, from 25 to 80%) with mental abnormalities. From this, it would seem that we can conclude that crimes are mainly committed by people with anomalies. But this is not entirely true (and the discrepancies in research data are not accidental). Firstly, many anomalies are not hereditary, but acquired, and very often the social and moral neglect of an individual is classified as a mental anomaly (especially in adolescents). Secondly, the usually cited figures about anomalies are not official data from forensic psychiatric examinations, but data from sample studies conducted using very different methods. Thirdly, most studies are conducted among prisoners sentenced to imprisonment. But, as is known, the conditions of places of deprivation of liberty are a powerful stress factor that negatively affects the human psyche. And conventional methods do not allow us to identify when anomalies arose - before the crime was committed or after, during the period of serving the sentence.

Mental anomalies, of course, influence human behavior, since they can cause serious difficulties during socialization - it is more difficult to study, it is difficult to obtain a highly qualified profession, etc. But, unlike moral deviations, mental anomalies are not the result of socialization.

The statement about the existence of a direct connection between mental abnormalities and criminal behavior means that social correction is impossible and the prevention of criminal behavior of mentally abnormal (but sane) subjects is futile. Therefore, for sociology and criminology in the study of mental anomalies, a different approach is more fruitful - the study should be aimed at searching for connections not between types of anomalies and certain forms of criminal behavior, but between mental disorders and the peculiarities of the socialization process of abnormal individuals.

More often than in other age groups, deviant behavior is observed in adolescents. The objective reason for this circumstance is that in minors the process of socialization (assimilation of norms) and the process of formation of delinquent behavior (deviation from norms) coincide in time. And one thing (delinquency) is a consequence of shortcomings and failures in the other (socialization).

A teenager’s life experience is small and fragmented, his character and views have not been fully formed. Because of this, the assessment of the situation is often inadequate; little experience and inadequate assessment of the situation also lead to incorrect prediction of consequences.

In addition, age factors also play a role:

social - There is a change in the spheres of socialization. The family as the main institution of child socialization is being replaced by educational and work teams and informal groups;

socio-psychological - A teenager’s behavior pattern is formed under the influence of contradictory factors. Minors are characterized by both increased conformity (compliance with the group) and the desire for independence. This causes instability and situational behavior of minors;

psychological - the process of puberty exacerbates (emphasizes) the manifestation of certain qualities (increased excitability, impulsivity, etc.). All this, to a certain extent, determines the increased tendency of minors to engage in delinquent behavior.

According to the UN, about 30% of all young people are involved in some kind of illegal activity, and 5% commit serious offenses.

Sociologists have established a pattern: the more easily a person assimilates patterns of deviant behavior, the more often he encounters them and the younger his age.

From this comes theory of differentiated connection (association) American criminologist Edwin Sutherland (1883-1950). This theory suggests that criminal behavior, like any other behavior, is learned, and learned from those with whom they have a closer connection. (This theory is sometimes ironically called the “bad company” theory.) The degree of influence on a person by certain patterns of behavior depends on the degree of his connection with a particular person (or group of persons): when communicating primarily with criminals, a person is likely to become a criminal; when communicating with law-abiding persons, he will become law-abiding (differentiation of connections). In poor, crime-ridden areas, it is much easier to become a criminal:

learn the appropriate techniques, develop skills, find accomplices, sell stolen goods, etc.

A person does not inherit criminal tendencies. Individual differences between people, if they influence crime, are only to the extent that they determine the frequency and stability of contacts with patterns of criminal behavior. Emotional stress in the family is significant insofar as it drives a person out of home and pushes him into contact with offenders.

Differential communication theory is a descriptive, not an explanatory theory: it describes the mechanism of learning patterns of behavior to which an individual is exposed, but does not explain where the criminal behavior that is learned comes from. E. Sutherland's theory was one of the first theories describing the process of reproduction of crime; it caused serious scientific discussions and contributed to the development of criminological theories of a sociological direction.

Currently in Russia, the delinquent behavior of young people is significantly influenced by socio-economic factors, sometimes called the social costs of ongoing economic reforms. The most vulnerable institution of socialization, the family, turned out to be the most vulnerable. The rapid impoverishment of a significant part of the population, unemployment, and the increase in drunkenness and alcoholism lead to the disintegration of the family. The consequence of this is a significant increase in neglect, vagrancy, begging among minors, and their involvement in immoral and criminal activities. The problem of social orphanhood has sharply worsened, i.e. the actual absence of a family with living parents evading raising children, deprived of parental rights or being in prison. The number of offenders from socially disadvantaged groups such as migrants and internally displaced persons has increased.

Since, as noted above, the process of socialization and the process of formation of delinquent behavior in minors coincide in time, the main direction in preventing delinquent behavior of minors is general social prevention, the goal of which is to create conditions conducive to the normal formation of a teenager’s personality. It should cover all the main spheres of socialization: family, school, work collective, spheres of communication and leisure. A well-thought-out social policy of the state, including assistance to families in raising children, improving education at school, improving labor education, creating conditions for meaningful leisure - all this contains significant anti-criminogenic potential. The center of gravity in preventive work with minors should be transferred from subjects from the law enforcement system to state and public organizations.

The social significance of the problem of adolescent delinquency is determined by the special place of the younger generation in society. The task of protecting the life, physical and moral health of the future of the nation, comprehensive social and legal protection of the legitimate rights and interests of minors and youth are priorities in the internal policy of any civilized state. Any normal society reacts particularly painfully to the incidence of crime in the social group of minors.

Deviation and diversity

Deviance should not be viewed as a purely negative phenomenon. As mentioned above, deviations can be both negative and positive. Deviance is the source diversity - foundations of social development (evolution). Diversity is as connected with deviance as uniformity is with the norm. Standard order and Deviance are two inextricably linked aspects of social progress.

At all times, society has tried to prevent deviations in the behavior of its members. Speaking abstractly, in principle, any deviations pose a threat to social stability: genius and madness, heroism and betrayal. But practically social control asymmetrical: Negative deviations are more often condemned, positive ones are approved. The history of mankind shows that the fight against deviations often degenerates into a fight against diversity - feelings, thoughts, actions.

At one pole there will be the most disapproved types of behavior: drug addiction, vandalism, crime, sacrilege, etc.;

At the other pole there will be the most approved deviations: heroism, self-sacrifice, genius, etc.

If we carry out a statistical calculation, it turns out that in normally developing societies and under normal conditions, each of these groups will account for approximately 10-15% of the total population, and 70% are “solid middle peasants” - people with insignificant deviations.

In a survey of New Yorkers, 99% of those surveyed admitted that they had committed one or more illegal acts, such as shoplifting, deceiving a tax inspector or a policeman, not to mention more innocent pranks such as being late for work, jaywalking or smoking. in the wrong places.

One of the first to connect the existence of delinquency and crime with the categories of norm and pathology, deviation and diversity was the outstanding French sociologist Emile Durkheim. He's the same as U.Lombroso (1835-1909), viewed crime as a natural phenomenon, but unlike him, he considered it not pathological, but a normal phenomenon, an integral part of any healthy society. Like A. Quetelet, E. Durkheim paid special attention to such a property of crime as stability, to the fact that it exists in all societies of all types, but in his conclusions he went much further. A person does not like pain in the same way, wrote E. Durkheim, as society dislikes crime, and yet pain is a function of normal physiology.

But if some phenomenon is stable and constant, then, in accordance with the concept of structural-functional analysis (one of the founders of which was E. Durkheim), it must perform a certain social function. According to E. Durkheim, the function of crime is evolutionary. The state of crime can serve as an indicator of the level of social development. Development is a deviation from established norms and rules. Society must give freedom for deviations to arise, but freedom is indivisible: it provides the opportunity for both positive and negative deviations. If society does not provide such freedom (totalitarian regimes), then the crime rate falls, but development also slows down. Therefore, both too high a crime rate (anomie) and too low a crime rate (stagnation) are abnormal. From this point of view, it is explainable why crime in socialist countries was much less than in capitalist countries. Democracy and freedom come at a cost, including increased crime.

But crime is not only an indicator of the development of society, it can also be a direct evolutionary factor (this is the most daring and paradoxical conclusion of E. Durkheim). Often crimes (the crime of Socrates in antiquity, the crimes of heretics in the Middle Ages) directly prepare the ground for the formation of new norms of morality and law. If we apply this approach to our reality, we can say that since the bearers of market psychology in our country were not Socrates and Giordano Bruno, but black marketeers, currency traders and “guild people”, one should not be surprised that the face of young Russian capitalism is disfigured by the vicious stamp of criminality .

Evaluating any behavior always involves comparing it with some norm; problematic behavior is often called deviant. Deviant behavior is a system of actions that deviate from the generally accepted or implied norm (mental health, rights, culture, morality).

Deviant behavior is divided into two broad categories. First, it is behavior that deviates from the norms of mental health, implying the presence of overt or hidden psychopathology. Secondly, this behavior is antisocial, violating some social and cultural norms, especially legal ones. When such actions are relatively minor, they are called offenses, and when they are serious and punishable by criminal law, they are called crimes. Accordingly, they talk about delinquent (illegal) and criminal (criminal) behavior.

Delinquency usually begins with school truancy and joining an antisocial peer group. This is followed by petty hooliganism, bullying of the younger and weaker, taking away small pocket money from children, stealing (for the purpose of riding) bicycles and motorcycles. Less common are fraud and petty speculative transactions that cause behavior in public places. This may be accompanied by “domestic thefts” of small amounts of money. All these actions while a minor are not grounds for punishment in accordance with the Criminal Code.

However, adolescents can exhibit greater delinquent activity and thus cause a lot of trouble. Typically, delinquency is the most common reason for proceedings in juvenile affairs commissions.

Adolescence in general and early youth in particular constitute a risk group.

Firstly, the internal difficulties of adolescence have an impact, starting with psychohormonal processes and ending with the restructuring of the self-concept.

Secondly, the borderliness and uncertainty of the social status of adolescents.

Thirdly, contradictions caused by the restructuring of the mechanisms of social control: children's forms of control no longer operate, and adult methods that involve discipline and self-control have not yet developed or become stronger.

The overwhelming majority of adolescent delinquency has purely social causes—failures in upbringing, first and foremost. From 30 to 85% of delinquent adolescents grow up in an incomplete family, i.e. without a father, or in a deformed family - with a newly appeared stepfather, less often, with a stepmother. The growth of delinquency among adolescents is accompanied by social upheavals, leading to fatherlessness and deprivation of family care.

Delinquency is not always associated with character anomalies or psychopathologies. However, with some of these anomalies, including extreme variants of the norm in the form of character accentuations, there is less resistance to the adverse effects of the immediate environment, and greater susceptibility to harmful influences.

The appearance of socially disapproved forms of behavior indicates a condition called social maladjustment. No matter how varied these forms are, they are almost always characterized by poor relationships with other children, which manifest themselves in fights, quarrels, or, for example, aggressiveness, defiant disobedience, destructive actions or deceit. They may also include antisocial behavior such as theft, truancy and arson. Between these various forms behavior there are important connections. They manifest themselves in the fact that those children who were aggressive and cocky at early school age are more likely to show a tendency towards antisocial behavior as they grow older.

Social maladjustment syndrome is much more common among boys. This is clearly evident in cases of antisocial behavior. Adolescents with so-called socialized forms of antisocial behavior are not characterized by emotional disorders and, moreover, they easily adapt to social norms within those antisocial groups of friends and relatives to which they belong. Such children often come from large families where inadequate educational measures are used and where antisocial behavior is learned from the immediate family environment.

On the contrary, a poorly socialized, aggressive child has very bad relationships with other children and with his family. Negativism, aggressiveness, insolence and vindictiveness are the main traits of his character.

All forms of deviant behavior naturally lead to violations of legal norms. Going beyond social rules, accompanied by extraordinary cruelty, is always suspicious as a possible mental anomaly.

Deviant and delinquent forms of behavior are an adaptation to the social and psychological realities of adolescence and youth, although condemned by society for their extremism.