Lecture
Deviant behaviour is behavioural acts or actions that deviate from the generally accepted norms, values and expectations of a given society. Such behaviour may be socially unacceptable or even unlawful. Deviant behaviour can manifest itself in both adolescents and adults, and it can take various forms and have various causes.
It is important to note that deviant behaviour does not always mean that a person has serious psychological or psychiatric problems. It can be caused by various factors, such as the social environment, upbringing, stress, group influence, life circumstances and others. Deviant behaviour can also be temporary and transient, and in some cases it can become chronic.
Examples of deviant behaviour may include:
Aggression and violence: Physical or verbal aggression, assaults, bullying and other forms of violence against others.
Antisocial behaviour: Theft, robbery, involvement in gangs or criminal organisations.
Drug and alcohol use: Manifestations of drug and alcohol dependence, their illegal use.
Truancy and hooliganism: Skipping classes, senseless destruction of property, going out without permission, and so on.
Sexual offences: Sexual harassment, rape, distribution of pornography and other unlawful acts.
Suicidal behaviour: Suicide attempts or self-harm.
Social alienation: Isolation from society, antisocial behaviour, refusal to participate in social activities.
Inadequate forms of self-expression: Unconventional styles of dress, hairstyles and musical preferences that are considered eccentric or at odds with accepted standards.
In pedagogical literature, deviant behaviour is understood as a deviation from the socio-moral norms and values accepted in a given society, social environment, immediate surroundings or collective, a disruption of the process of assimilating and reproducing social norms and cultural values, as well as of self-development and self-realisation within the society to which the person belongs.
In medical literature, deviant behaviour is understood as a deviation from the norms of interpersonal relations accepted in a given society: actions, deeds and statements made both within the bounds of mental health and in various forms of neuropsychiatric pathology, especially of a borderline level.
In psychological literature, behaviour is called deviant when it deviates from socio-psychological and moral norms, either as a mistaken antisocial pattern of resolving conflict, manifested in a violation of socially accepted norms, or in harm caused to the public good, to others and to oneself. Additional distinguishing features include difficulty in correcting the behaviour and a particular need for an individual approach from educators and the attention of peers.
Despite certain differences, all authors regard the violation of norms accepted in a given society as the main criterion of deviation.
A social norm is a measure, limit or range of what is permissible in the behaviour or activity of people, social groups or organisations that has taken shape historically in a given society. The concept of «social norm» has a wide range of defined parameters. Social norms are historically variable. What was considered the norm yesterday may turn out to be a deviation today, and vice versa. In a modern society undergoing reform, where some norms have been destroyed and others have not yet fully taken shape, the problem of forming, interpreting and applying norms becomes an extremely complex matter.
Evaluating any behaviour always involves comparing it with a norm. Deviation does not exist without a norm. The concept of the norm is among the indeterminate scientific notions, since there is no universally recognised definition of the norm. The concept of «norm» is defined as a limit, a measure of what is permissible. A social norm finds embodiment in laws, traditions and customs, in everything that has become a habit, has entered into the way of life of the majority, is supported by public opinion, and plays the role of a «natural regulator» of social and interpersonal relations. In reality there is no norm as a reality with clearly defined boundaries beyond which the non-norm, the deviation from it, begins. Problem behaviour is often called deviant (from the Latin Deviatio – deviation). Deviant behaviour – is a system of a person's acts and actions that do not correspond to the generally accepted or implied norm, or to the socially expected standards officially established or actually prevailing in society. The problem of deviant behaviour among schoolchildren is one of the important tasks of correctional pedagogy and special psychology. Deviant behaviour can be regarded as a system of acts that contradict the norms accepted in society and manifest themselves as an imbalance of mental processes, maladaptiveness, disruption of the process of self-actualisation, or as evasion of moral and aesthetic control over one's own behaviour (Mendelevich V.D.)
Deviant behaviour is considered:
as behaviour that deviates from the norms of mental health, implying the presence of overt or covert psychopathology. This group comprises individuals with pronounced «severe» character traits (disorders in the form of character accentuations).
as behaviour that deviates from the moral norms of human coexistence, violating certain social, cultural or legal norms. This manifests itself in various forms of social pathology – alcoholism, drug addiction, prostitution… and is expressed in the form of misdemeanours or crimes.
When acts are minor, they are called offences, and when they are serious and punishable under criminal law, they are called crimes. Accordingly, one speaks of delinquent (unlawful) and criminal behaviour.
Youth and, in particular, early adolescence constitute a risk group.
The emergence of socially disapproved forms of behaviour indicates a condition known as social maladjustment. However varied these forms may be, they are almost always characterised by poor relationships with other children, manifested in fights, quarrels, or, for example, aggressiveness, demonstrative disobedience, destructive actions and lying. They may also include antisocial acts such as theft, truancy and arson. Important connections exist between these various forms of behaviour. They are reflected in the fact that children who were aggressive and quarrelsome at school age are, as they grow older, more likely to show a tendency toward antisocial behaviour.
It is important to understand that deviant behaviour can be caused by various factors, and a deeper understanding of the causes is often required in order to develop appropriate support and intervention strategies. Working with deviant behaviour often requires the cooperation of specialists from different fields, such as psychologists, social workers, lawyers and others.
Comments