Deviantological competence of future teachers and psychologists

Abstract

Abstract. The beginning of the new Millenia brings new social challenges adjoint with the antisocial behavior of the youth. Crime rates are clearly on the rise among the young people, and their crimes in turn significantly worsen the criminal situation in the society as a whole. The trend can be also observed in the raise of drug abuse among the younger generation, that provokes even more criminal acts. Minors are dragged into the criminal business (such as drug trafficking etc.), nudged to the side of different sexual deviances. Considering this, knowledge, skills and abilities in the field of deviantology among the specialist working with minors are especially relevant and important today. Teachers and psychologist are the part of that cohort; therefore, we talk about their professional ability to inhibit the growth of antisocial behavior among the minors. The goal of the study was to assess the level of expertise in the field of deviant behavior of minors among the future educators and psychologists, to research the student’s opinions on deviant persons and identify their social and professional responsibility in the sphere of pedagogical and psychological prevention of deviancy. Methods. Methodology of the research is based on the subject-oriented approach to the study of a person, which explores the person traits introspectively, considering the person as a carrier of an individual worldview, a certain system of individual meanings and reasons. That approach supposes that persons behavior tends to be repetitive in the most different situations happening as a result of the intervening and interplaying objective and subjective factors. In order to achieve the chosen goal, the authors have used a method of survey. They surveyed 144 pedagogic and psychology juniors age 20 – 25. The sample consisted of the students who not only possessed a basic level knowledge but also a personal opinion on the questions of deviant behavior. Results. The authors have found the following: 1) the cognitive component shows that students have relevant notions on deviant behavior, its predictors and age characteristics; 2) the affective component is more differentiated and heterogeneous then a cognitive one; 3) conative component lets us suppose that school is a key factor in minors’ socialization, but lacks powers to prevent and correct the deviant behavior of kids and young people. Scientific novelty. The achieved results show the necessity to provide psychology and pedagogic students the knowledge in the field of deviantology. The work widens our ideas on cognitive, affective and conative components of their learning and professional competence. Empirical significance. The findings of the work point us to the importance of the additional curriculum hours dedicated to the deviant behavior studies, choosing the most effective educational methods and technics in that matter, as well as offering psychological trainings raising stress resilience, forming self-regulation and constructive communication in complex life situations.