Analysis of Personal Characteristics that Act as Factors in Overcoming the Propensity to Theft in Adolescents
Authors:   Kamianets-Podilskyi National Ivan Ohiіenko University, Honcharuk Nataliia , Onufriieva Liana ,   Kamianets-Podilskyi National Ivan Ohiіenko University
Published: July 2022

the purpose. The purpose of the study is a theoretical and empirical analy-sis of personal factors that are the driving force behind the psychological mecha-nisms of predisposition to theft, and to clarify the main directions of its psycho-logical prevention / correction. The main objectives of the study are: 1) clarifica-tion of scientific and psychological approaches to the theoretical analysis of the problem of theft; 2) analysis of motivational and volitional personal factors in subjects with an increased risk of theft; 3) scientific substantiation of the main directions of psychological prevention / correction of theft.methods of the research. The main methods used in the study are theo-retical analysis, generalization, comparison, systematization of facts, theoretical modeling, scientific interpretation, use of questionnaires and tests.the results of the research. The role and essence of theft is revealed, which in society is qualified as a socio-psychological problem connected with an in-surmountable urge to misappropriate other people’s money and things. It was found that the subject of theft can be any property that has a certain value: real estate or movable property, cash, securities, precious metals, documents, etc.The experimental study identified three groups of people: those with a low risk of theft (14.1%), medium risk (44.7%) and high risk (41.2%).People with a high propensity for theft are characterized by an increased fear of rejection: they begin to act under the conditions of external stimuli asso-ciated with control, requirements, supervision. Subjects are prone to external control, which indicates their desire to shift responsibility to external circum-stances (insurmountable obstacles, difficult fate or people who do not help).Persons prone to theft have low levels of general volitional self-regulation, which indicates an inability to consciously control their desires and impulses, including material direction, to subordinate behavior in accordance with the circumstances. They are also characterized by low rates of persistence, which is manifested in the unwillingness to perform socially useful activities, coping with difficulties, inconsistencies. Instead, there is a clear desire to shift their problems onto others who have to buy, buy the things they want, and provide for everyone without exception.The function of self-control is lower than the average in the subjects with a tendency to theft. Low self-control is due to difficulties in subordinating dif-ferent activities to the motive of self-improvement, low ability to self-promo-tion and self-punishment as dynamic factors in the formation of regulatory behavior.conclusions. On the basis of the conducted empirical research two main di-rections of work are defined: a) psychological correction of motivational sphere of teenagers with high risk of propensity to theft; b) psychological correction of the volitional sphere of adolescents with a high risk of theft.