Features of Coping Strategies of Adolescents with Deviant Behavior

Abstract

The article examines the coping strategies of adolescents with signs of deviant behavior. The aim is to identify the most common strategies and their relationship with various forms of deviance, as well as to identify age differences in their use. The war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine significantly affected the psychological state of adolescents, increasing the level of stress and adaptation needs. Adolescence is a crisis period of identity formation and social adaptation, so the study of coping is particularly relevant. The study was conducted on a sample of 132 adolescents aged 12–17. The tendency to deviant behavior was assessed using the A. Orel test, and coping was assessed using the R. Lazarus questionnaire. Age differences were identified: in the 16–17-year-old group, the level of aggression, addictive and self-destructive behavior increases, and volitional control decreases. Pearson correlation analysis showed the presence of weak, moderate, pronounced and strong statistically significant relationships between maladaptive coping strategies (escape-avoidance, distancing, confrontational coping) and the tendency to risky behavior. In contrast, adaptive strategies (self-control, planning, support seeking) had moderate and pronounced negative correlations with deviance indicators, which confirms their protective role. The results obtained indicate that coping strategies can act as both a risk factor and a resource of psychological protection, influencing the behavioral manifestations of adolescents. This justifies the need to implement psychological programs in educational institutions to develop adaptive coping skills and prevent maladaptive behavior.