Psychological Distance from the State: Social Perception of Law by Youth with Delinquent Behavior
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29038/2227-1376-2026-47-kreKeywords:
social perception, image of the state, delinquent behavior, youth, institutional legitimacy, psychological predictorsAbstract
Purpose. The purpose of the article is to provide a theoretical analysis of socio-psychological approaches to the perception of the state and law, as well as the psychological characteristics of youth with delinquent behavior, and on this basis to substantiate a conceptual model of the social perception of the state and law by this category of youth.
Methods. The methodological basis of the study consists of the provisions of social and political psychology concerning the social perception of institutions, as well as socio-psychological approaches to the analysis of delinquent behavior among youth. The methods of theoretical analysis, comparison, generalization, and systematization of scientific sources were used.
Results. The article summarizes the results of contemporary Ukrainian and foreign studies devoted to the image of the state, legitimacy of legal institutions, legal socialization, and psychological characteristics of delinquent youth behavior. It is shown that in Western psychology the perception of the state is mainly analyzed through the constructs of procedural justice, legitimacy, and institutional trust, whereas in the Ukrainian psychological tradition it is considered in the context of civic identity, political consciousness, and the psychology of relations between the individual and the state. It is substantiated that the specificity of social perception of the state and law by youth with delinquent behavior is determined by the peculiarities of their socialization, subcultural norms, and experience of interaction with state institutions. A conceptual model is proposed in which the image of the state is formed under the influence of value, organizational, and personal descriptors of social perception.
Conclusions. The social perception of the state and law by youth with delinquent behavior has a specific character and is associated with a reduced level of identification with the state, psychological distancing from it, a critical assessment of institutional order, and weakened semantic legitimation of statehood. The proposed conceptual model creates a theoretical basis for further empirical studies of psychological predictors of the perception of the state and law by youth with delinquent behavior.
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