Systems of social networks of delinquent young people

Abstract

Social networks are considered an ontological attribute of the existence of a modern person. The modern ideas describe an important role of the system of social networks in socialization and adaptation of a person, motivation to the social activity, assistance and support in difficult life situations. The studies of criminals’ social networks show their significance in motivation to crime, formation of criminal ideology. Besides, it is proved that the quality of social networks impacts the prevention and suppression of crimes among teenagers and young people. However, the attitudes of young people towards the social environment and their relationship to it are still not properly studied. Understanding it will allow explaining the impact of the social environment on the criminalization and social rehabilitation of young people. Objective of the research: to study the parameters of social networks of delinquent young people including the comparison with the similar parameters of law-abiding young people. Methods. The data collection method is a questionnaire that describes the parameters of social networks, i.e. volume, stability, homogeneity, subordination, and referentiality. The method of results processing is descriptive statistics and also a non-parametric analogue of the one-way ANOVA test (Kruskal-Wallis test). The research sample was made up of 220 people of 18-27 years old, 73.5% of respondents were men; among the participants in the research, 115 people have been convicted of committing a crime, 105 people are law-abiding and do not have any criminal record. Results and novelty: New data were obtained about the specific character of social networks of delinquent young people with regard to the small volume of relations, homogeneity of participants, low refenetiality of the social environment; the perspectives of the study of the social networks in the conditions of the social regulation of interaction were determined taking into account the sex and social and cultural specific character.