Features of deviant behavior in adolescents with delayed mental development

Relevance. The relevance of the study is due to the widespread prevalence of school and social maladaptation among adolescents, as well as increased criminal activity. Among adolescents with deviant behavior, a significant proportion (up to 28%) are individuals with mental retardation [2], which determines the scientific and practical need to study the specifics of behavioral disorders in this type of dysontogenesis. Foreign studies also confirm that adolescents with intellectual disabilities demonstrate a high level of antisocial and delinquent behavior [19], with key predictors being emotional instability, impulsivity, and adverse social conditions [20].

Purpose. The aim of the study is to identify the specificity of the relationships between characterological features and the propensity for various forms of deviant behavior in adolescents with mental retardation.

Materials and Methods. Theoretical methods: bibliometric analysis, conceptual and categorical analysis. Empirical methods: the methodology for diagnosing the propensity for deviant behavior (SOP) by A.N. Orel [15], the Schmishek character accentuation questionnaire [10], and the G. Eysenck adolescent questionnaire [1]. Sample: 34 individuals (17 adolescents with mental retardation, 17 normotypic peers) aged 15–16 years. Statistical processing: Mann–Whitney U-test, Fisher's angular transformation, Pearson correlation analysis.

Results. Statistically significant differences between the groups were revealed in the indicators of propensity for aggression and violence (U = 915, φ* = 4.14, p < 0.01), propensity for weak volitional control (U = 1356, φ* = 3.76, p < 0.01), and propensity for delinquent behavior (U = 804, φ* = 5.16, p < 0.01). Specific relationships between characterological features (demonstrativeness, dysthymicity, emotionality) and forms of deviant behavior were established. A qualitative originality of the structure of interanalyzer connections in adolescents with mental retardation was revealed: unlike their normotypic peers, they show a breakdown or inversely proportional nature of connections between accentuations. The obtained data are consistent with foreign studies indicating a high prevalence of delinquent tendencies in adolescents with intellectual disabilities [19] and the role of emotional instability as a key risk factor [20].

Conclusions. Adolescents with mental retardation demonstrate a higher propensity for aggressive and delinquent behavior, as well as weakness of volitional control compared to normotypic peers. The structure of relationships between characterological features in mental retardation is characterized by a violation of the integrity of personal organization, which should be taken into account when developing correctional.

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