The Study of Adolescents' Perception of the Psychological Safety of the Educational Environment

Iakimanskaia Irina ORCID: 0000-0001-7503-9848 PhD in Psychology Associate Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Orenburg State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation 460000, Russia, Orenburg region, Orenburg, ul. Sovetskaya, 6 Yakimanskay@narod.ru Other publications by this author

Molokostova Anna Mikhailovna PhD in Psychology Docent, Department of Social Psychology, Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis - non-governmental educational private institution of higher education 121170, Russia, Moscow region, Moscow, Kutuzovsky Avenue, 34, building 14 molokostova@yandex.ru

In social psychology, the study of life experience is traditionally associated with the beginning of reflections on childhood experience in the works of Z. Freud, M. Klein, F. Perls, A. Assagiolli and other researchers of the psychoanalytic direction. However, the category of individual experience is most actively used within the framework of humanistic psychology. Humanistic psychologists emphasize the importance of subjective experience as the main phenomenon in the study and understanding of man. So A. Maslow argues that "the basis of most neuroses, as well as in many other disorders, is the inability to recognize their internal signals ^[1].

Rogers K. evaluates life experience from the perspective of how well it serves the trend of actualization. According to the author, the interpretation of past events, and not their actual circumstances, determine the present behavior of an individual ^[2].

In pedagogical and age psychology, a stable concept and an informative construct proposed by L.S. Vygotsky, the social situation of development, is used. The perception of the social risks of the educational environment by the students themselves is one of the parameters for assessing the social situation of development. In modern pedagogical psychology, the social environment of the school is unequivocally assessed as a constructive and motivating or demotivating condition for development ^[3,4].

We turned to works containing a hypothetical model of individual human experience ^[5,6]. The model proposed by the researchers includes such elements as subjective experience - manifests itself in an active attitude to one's own life, in the search for unique personality traits in oneself, in a sense of variability and fluidity of the inner world; object experience - manifests itself in a passive attitude to one's own life, a rigid perception of one's own "I", in a simple description, not understanding their own actions.

Nurkova V.V., developing the autobiographical method in psychology, identified four different sources of childhood memories: true natural; true social; false fantasy; false artifact ^[7]. Most likely, it is social events that have the most impressive effect in an educational institution, since, according to the author, they manifest themselves in a dialogue with adults. Social memories are often an educational tool of an adult, used to consolidate certain traits of a child's character and to form self-esteem ^[8]. This is how social attitudes about the danger or the safe adult world are formed.

 In modern studies of various factors of children's experience and its impact on personality development, Russian researchers focus on the safety of the educational environment. We turned to some works that rely on the approach of I.V. Bayeva ^[9].  The author considers the main threat to be the possibility of psychological trauma in the learning process and in the educational space, while damaging constructive development and psychological health. The source of such trauma I.A. Baeva indicates psychological violence, it can be consciously or in accordance with the guidelines committed by teachers and parents. We will comment on several research papers related to our topic.

In the conducted empirical study, it was shown that the features associated with the preservation of mental health in the educational environment are as follows: values, social intelligence, low level of aggressiveness and resilience. Conformity and adherence to traditions, a positive image of the future, the experience of community with other people, the ability to understand and predict the feelings and behavior of other people, a sense of involvement in life events allow the student to maintain psychological security ^{[10, 11]}.

In her research, A.A. Kalaeva also studies the relationship between various factors and the psychological safety of the environment. The author shows a reliable relationship between assessments of the ability to manage the environment, opportunities for personal growth and parameters of psychological well-being ^[12].

The idea of individual experience as a result of manifestations of activity and initiative was investigated by B.C. Lednev. The author linked the components of a person's experience with the types of activities – value-oriented, cognitive, transformative, communicative, aesthetic and physical. Subjective assessment or self-assessment was a crucial component in the assessment of personal experience ^[13].

In pedagogical psychology, the prevailing opinion is that if a child cannot set a goal for himself, draw up a program for its realization of the goal, monitor and evaluate his actions, then he does not accumulate personal experience of social interaction. Thus, Yu.O. Biryukova expresses a stable understanding in pedagogical research: personal experience is equated with reflection ^[14]. We believe that this confirms the importance of understanding the assessment of a person's perception of the social situation of development.

The work of A.N. Selivanov analyzes the components of proactivity and compares the sexual characteristics of proactivity. It is confirmed that the positive, however, weak relationship between proactive behavior and the psychological safety of the educational environment has a gender aspect: young men tend to use actively active mechanisms of proactive behavior, and girls more often use emotion-based mechanisms of proactive behavior.  So, young men show strong-willed control by building behavior, for example, they move away from a stressful situation, and girls more often show a negative emotional reaction ^{[15, 16]}.

The positive or destructive impact of the educational environment can be combined with the destructive impact of the family or society surrounding the child. An educational institution can create a space where a student meets with support, pressure, or isolation. Thus, the author shows that a high level of psychological security of the educational environment reduces the severity of loneliness, manifestations of symptoms of depression, promotes the development of a higher level of awareness and responsibility for achievements in the present and future ^[16]. Vague perception of life prospects and hopelessness lead to the formation of stable personal characteristics - emotional instability, negativism, narcissism and vulnerability ^[17].

The insufficiency of social or personal characteristics associated with the ability to cope with the difficulties and stresses of growing up becomes a very significant factor in development or its stagnation. The lack of constructive ways and strong personality traits cannot be the subject of rejection of the child, the responsibility lies with adults, teachers and parents who have the resources and experience to create a safe social environment conducive to the development, mental and physical health of the child ^[18].

Purpose and subject. We have organized and conducted a study aimed at studying the parameters of the psychological safety of the educational environment.

The study examined the assessment of the educational environment of schools by adolescents, as well as the value-orientation orientation of adolescent students in Orenburg and the region. The survey was conducted twice, in 2016 and in 2022. The 2016 survey was attended by teenagers from rural and urban schools, respectively 1,904 and 1,149 teenagers (age 13-15 years, 50% boys, 50% girls). The 2022 survey was attended by teenagers from rural and urban schools, respectively, 1946 and 1,320 teenagers (age 13-15 years, 50% boys, 50% girls).  The survey was conducted at the request of the Ministry of Education of the Orenburg Region in 2022 in order to monitor the educational environment and educational institutions, which began in 2016.

The research method was a survey of teenagers, students of schools in Orenburg and the Orenburg region according to the questionnaire proposed by us, which includes modifications of the methods of I.A. Baeva (Psychological diagnostics of the safety of the educational environment of the school) and D.A. Leontiev (SO – test of life orientations).

The following are the results of a survey of adolescents on some issues most closely related to the assessment of the educational environment. Table 1 and figure 1 show the distribution of adolescent responses about the overall sense of security in 2016 and in 2022.

Figure 1. General safety assessment by adolescents in comparison of responses in 2016 and 2022.

As shown in figure 1, there is an increase in unambiguously positive assessments of the environment, so in 2016 16% of teenagers reported that they were not afraid of anyone and nothing, in 2022 already 24% of respondents give such answers. There has also been a significant increase in the number of responses that a teenager never faces danger, 36% of such responses in 2016, 44% in 2022. At the same time, the number of responses indicating that one has to face difficulties and a preference to stay at home has decreased, there were about 20% of such responses in 2016 compared to 8% in 2022.  Based on the responses of teenagers, it can be concluded that approximately the same number of teenagers cope with perceived dangers:  28% in 2016 and 24% in 202, and does not meet with them, 8% in 2016 and 7% in 2022.

Table 1. Number of responses about perceived dangers in surveys of adolescents in 2016 and 2022Year of research

When assessing the general state of security, the decrease in the number of responses about the hazardous environment can be associated with a decrease in the criminogenic situation in Orenburg and the Orenburg region. We conducted a psychological analysis of teenagers' comments, which they gave in addition to choosing an answer from the suggested ones. The empty column for the answer included the following explanation: "If you are bored, do you strive to enter peer groups, do you gather friends together yourself, communicate on the Internet.... Or give an answer that suits your needs more."

The positive dynamics in the assessments of the educational environment can also be attributed to the fact that only a small part of the surveyed adolescents are aware of social risks. Teenagers often refuse contacts with friends and various activities, do not show initiative and independence in forming a circle of communication and in choosing an interesting socially significant, unifying and motivating joint activity. It is also likely that the cognitive and emotional orientation of adolescents in difficult situations is difficult, the unwillingness of the teenager himself to proactive activity is revealed. Only a small part of teenagers gave explanations about their own role in the organization of communication, 34% of such responses. "I'm not doing anything", "I'm sitting on the Internet" – this was written by 12% of teenagers in 2016 and 65% in 2022. It can be concluded that teenagers limit themselves in obtaining real, rather than virtual experience and building friendship and cooperation with the immediate environment, preferring a virtual environment.

Apparently, a significant part of teenagers do not feel like subjects of their lives. A decrease in the number of responses that a teenager copes with dangers may also indicate a lack of experience in seeking help in coping with life's adversities and communication difficulties.

Figure 2. Resources of help and support for adolescents in comparison of responses in 2016 and 2022.

Table 1 and Figure 2 reflect the dynamics of responses about the main assistance resources given by adolescents in 2016 and 2022.  The teenager was asked to indicate the three most applicable help resources. The diagram shows the total number of responses for the entire group of respondents for each category of responses - parents, friends, teachers, nature, hobbies and pets take second places. The most popular are friends and parents, and in 2022 (41% - friends and 27% - parents) the number of such responses increased compared to the number of responses given in 2016 (63% - friends and 65% - parents).

Table 2. The number of responses from adolescents about available assistance resourcesYear of research

We believe that this result confirms not only the willingness, but also the ability of adolescents to seek help in situations of danger. The fact that most teenagers give answers about accessing resources – friends and parents - is both encouraging and alarming, psychological support for adolescents can rely on these in-demand resources, contribute to the discovery of other resources by those who do not use them. The small number of responses indicating the possibility of contacting a teacher as a resource of assistance, and decreasing from 2016 to 2022 (3% and 2%, respectively) is not accidental.

It can be concluded that the teacher is engaged in the main professional activity of teaching, and his personal resource is either insufficient for students, or the teacher deliberately does not help teenagers cope with difficulties. It is possible that the direct professional tasks assigned to the teacher by the educational authorities are exceeding his mental abilities and time resources, which does not allow him to effectively solve the tasks of educating students. But this contradiction reduces the accessibility of the teacher and the safety of the environment of the educational organization. Teenagers do not get the experience of interacting with a safe and friendly adult, which does not contribute to gaining constructive experience and mastering effective ways to solve problems.

Table 3 and Figures 3 and 4 show the number of responses about significant (important) and most easily achievable values.   Teenagers were asked to choose at least three values, both significant and the most easily achievable.

It is also interesting that meaningful values in the responses of adolescents are often the least achievable.  The most important values, both in 2016 and in 2022, are health (53% and 63%), a financially secure life (38% and 42%) and having good and loyal friends (35% and 37%) and love (37% and 29%). Freedom to choose actions is a rather significant, but difficult to achieve value, and in the 2022 survey, the difference between the number of responses about the importance (10% and 13%) and the ease of achieving (22% and 18%) freedom is less than in 2016. The least significant values of adolescents in two dimensions are the value of experiencing beauty in nature and art and creativity, such answers do not gain more than 5% of the responses in the entire sample.

We believe that the most important values are determined by the need for social connections and belonging to a group, while less important values are associated with individual and peculiar traits and interests of adolescents.

Table 3. Dynamics of changes in the number of adolescent responses about important and most easily achievable values in 2016 and 2022Values

Judging by the number of answers, we can conclude that the most easily achievable values are an active and active life, having loyal friends, self-confidence, interesting work, knowledge.  The answer about the importance of health and a financially secure life is natural, since the current state of society and the economy encourages adults to broadcast a sense of danger to children.  Most likely, constant concern for material prosperity leads to the perception of adult life as unhealthy and filled with unbearable worries.

At the same time, the value of knowledge is not significant, it is indicated by a minority of teenagers. The insignificant value of experiencing beauty in nature and art is accompanied by an indication of the ease of achieving it. Most likely, the low value of beauty experiences is reduced by its easy accessibility. 

Figure 3. The ratio of adolescent responses about the most important and achievable values in 2016. The following symbols are used in the diagram: 1- Active life; 2 - Health; 3- Interesting work; 4 - Experiencing the beautiful in nature and art; 5 - Love; 6 - Financially secure life; 7 - Having good and loyal friends; 8 - Self-confidence; 9 - Cognition; 10 - Freedom as independence in actions; 11 - Happy family life, 12 - Creativity.

Figure 4. The ratio of adolescent responses about the most important and achievable values in 2022. The following symbols are used in the diagram: 1- Active life; 2 - Health; 3- Interesting work; 4 - Experiencing the beautiful in nature and art; 5 - Love; 6 - Financially secure life; 7 - Having good and loyal friends; 8 - Self-confidence; 9 - Cognition; 10 - Freedom as independence in actions; 11 - Happy family life, 12 - Creativity.

Such an experience of adult life perception does not contribute to the formation of independence and initiative. At the same time, a significant number of responses from adolescents allows us to draw conclusions about their awareness of the role of their own activity in achieving success and a happy life. Social risks in the perception of adolescents exceed cognitive and emotional abilities, perhaps the experience of meeting with material distress and stress leads to sustained helplessness and inability to build communication and activities in accordance with their values and needs.  

The same can be noted with regard to the value of cognition, which is not just an accessible, but also an obligatory activity of a teenager. Probably, the social environment does not give an understanding that education provides tools and opportunities to achieve the desired material status and a decent social circle. To the same extent, it is likely that teenagers perceive the crisis environment of society and school, low assessing the success of teachers and the environment.

The smallest discrepancy or greater closeness of importance and attainability is found only in relation to the value of "having good and loyal friends." In 2016, 35% of responses were given about the importance of friends, 31% about reachability; in the 2022 survey, the importance of loyal friends was noted in 37% of responses, reachability – in 36%.  It can be concluded that the content and priorities in comparison of the answers of 2016 and 2022 have no obvious differences.

In general, the results obtained can be attributed to the fact that teachers of educational institutions currently manage to create a favorable social environment for most adolescents, but attention should be paid to those adolescents who perceive the educational environment as dangerous and associated with social risks.

It can be concluded that the assessment of the danger / safety of the educational environment reflects the accumulated children's experience of meeting with the social world. In adolescence, a person actively learns ways of social interaction, including the resolution of difficult situations of communication and interaction. However, we do not associate this age with the adoption of irreversible attitudes and behaviors, we believe that the collegial competent work of psychologists and teachers can give a child a significant positive social experience.