Психология та социология /5. Психолого-воспитательные проблемы развития личности в современных условиях

V. Moskovchenko

Kharkiv national university of internal affairs, Ukraine

An interpersonal dependency in the context of deviant behavior among adolescents

Existing studies of psychological peculiarities of delinquent adolescents in most cases focused on a limited range of characteristics, whereas the specificity of dependency in an interpersonal relationship still is poorly understood.

R. Hirschfeld suggests that interpersonal dependency refers to a complex of thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and behaviors revolving around needs to associate closely with valued other people [5].

According to Bornstein R. F., dependency is complex and encompasses both overdependence (characterized by maladaptive, inflexible dependency), detachment (characterized by self-reliance at the expense of social relationships), and healthy dependence (characterized by flexible, adaptive, appropriate support seeking [3].

Destructive overdependence results in part from a pattern of overprotective and/or authoritarian parenting, and/or from certain temperaments (e.g., low soothability) which may elicit these styles of parenting. These individuals’ insecure, clinging behavior often distances potential caregivers and impairs their ability to develop helping relationships. Healthy dependent people demonstrate situation-appropriate flexibility with a capability to delay short-term gratification to sustain long-term supportive relationships. Healthy dependency results from authoritative parenting, instilling a sense of confidence and self-directedness and consistent feedback from others that it is acceptable to ask for support when needed.

As G. Haggerty notes, research shows that, only when authoritative parenting co-occurs with the encouragement of appropriate support-seeking, will health dependency. In contrast, defined detachment as a person’s inability to develop relationships and employ situation-appropriate affiliative behaviors. Detachment is related to problems in social, occupational, and sexual functioning. Research suggests detachment can result from several underlying factors such as early learning and socializing experiences stressing independence and self-sufficiency along with the de-emphasis of connectedness, conflicts surrounding intimacy and temperament differences that elicit reactions from others reinforcing socially detached behavior [4].

Y. Gavrylenko considers that dependence in relations is the variable phenomenon that periodically appears in different kinds of communication in different degree. The destructive role of dependence shows up in the special expressiveness and fixation of special pattern of co-operations in the space of interpersonal relations [1].

L. Dubrovina draws the attention that a significant part of at-risk groups of forming of interpersonal dependence are adolescents. In addition, dissatisfaction with interpersonal relationships can trigger of development of different forms of deviant behavior. For the organization of effective prevention of interpersonal dependence is necessary to study the specific manifestations of interpersonal dependence in adolescence [2].

The purpose of this study is to establish features of interpersonal dependency in delinquent adolescents.

Material and methods. The study used Relationship Profile Test (Bornstein R. F.), which includes the scale: destructive overdependence, healthy dependency and destructive detachment. For statistical processing of results used the Student's t - test (for independent samples). Sampling - 96 boys, older adolescents. 47 juvenile offenders was included to the first group (delinquent adolescents). The second group - 49 pupils of secondary school with normative behavior.

Results and their discussion. Delinquent adolescents demonstrated significantly higher scores on scales "Destructive overdependence" "Dysfunctional detachment" and significantly lower rate on a scale of "Healthy dependency." Delinquent adolescents are more prone to destructive interpersonal dependency, which is characterized by a strong need for emotional closeness, a rigid intention to obtain help and support on the background of the fact that they constantly feel lonely and helpless. A higher level of dysfunctional detachment was found in this group, that determines deficits of the ability to develop social relationships, and become attached to people. A healthy dependency is less inherent to delinquent adolescents that characterizes them as less flexible in communication, less able to seek help and to establish a stable emotional relationship.

Conclusion. Specificity of interpersonal dependency, revealed in group of delinquent adolescents indicates the tendency to dependent relationship with anti-social environment that accepts and supports them as well as to the dysfunctional separation from the environment with normative social attitudes, which requires the development of appropriate psycho-correctional programs

References:

1. Гавриленко Я. Психологічні конфігурації залежних стосунків у міжособистісній взаємодії / Я.Гавриленко // Вісник Київського національного торговельно-економічного університету. – 2013. - № 5. – С. 94-104.

2. Дубровина Л. Профилактика возникновения межличностной зависимости в старшем подростковом возрасте / Л. Дубровина, А. Городничая, О. Григорьева // Новый взгляд. Международный научный вестник. – 2015. - № 7. – С. 102 – 111.

3. Bornstein R. F. From dysfunction to adaptation: An interactionist model of dependency / R. F. Bornstein // Annual Review of Clinical Psychology. – 2012. Vol.8. – P. 291–316.

4. Haggerty G. Construct Validity of the Relationship Profile Test: Links with measures of psychopathology and adult attachment / G. Haggerty et al. // Journal of personality assessment. – 2016. -  Vol.98 (1). - P. 82 - 87.

5. Hirschfeld R. A measure of interpersonal dependency / R. Hirschfeld et al. // Journal of personality assessment. – 1997. – Vol. 41(6). – P. 610-618.