Psychological features of motivational components of juvenile offenders

Ustinov Dmitrii ORCID: 0000-0001-6627-7916 Deputy Chief of Juvenile Department Ministry of Internal Affairs Donetsk People Republic; Senior lecturer of Department of Psychology Donetsk State University; 283001, Russia, Republic of Donetsk People's Republic, Donetsk, Universitetskaya str., 24 mail.ustinov@mail.ru Other publications by this author

Juvenile delinquency is an actual social phenomenon for modern man. In addition to the criterion of the state's ability to solve problems in law enforcement, social, educational and educational spheres, child crime in society causes anxiety about itself, its descendants, its future.

The analysis of juvenile delinquency shows a significant role of crimes committed by adolescents and young men who were previously brought to justice, are registered in the bodies and institutions of the juvenile delinquency prevention system and are the object of preventive measures. Thus, during 2022, 43 (35%) of 123 crimes committed by minors in the territory of the DPR were committed by minors who had previously been brought to justice, while most of the recidivist crimes are crimes against property (38 or 88%). Over the past period of this year, registered minors have committed 12 crimes (36%, all property) out of 33 crimes committed by minors. Statistical data, on the one hand, show that solving the problem of preventing repeat crimes is an important link in countering juvenile delinquency, on the other hand, it indicates the lack of effectiveness of the work carried out.

The modern understanding of criminal behavior as a specific type of social interaction requires the inclusion in preventive and rehabilitation programs of measures to eliminate intrapersonal causes and psychological conditions of committing offenses ^[1]. There is no doubt that an effective way to prevent offenses is a purposeful systematic impact on the components of the need-motivation sphere that have a potential impact on the formation of criminal behavior ^[2].

In this regard, knowledge of the peculiarities of the need-motivation sphere of juvenile offenders, understanding the differences between the motivational components of adolescents, young men who have previously committed offenses from the personal characteristics of their law-abiding peers are becoming important.

Criminal motives of different types of crimes, as inducements to commit acts prohibited by law, are conditioned by various need systems. Taking into account the absence of a unified classification of motives for criminal behavior of minors and the variety of approaches to systematization of needs that determine criminal motivation, as well as the absolute numerical predominance of crimes against property in the structure of child crime, for the purposes of our study it is advisable to use a classification of motives for illegal property behavior based on the difference in needs satisfied in the process of committing illegal actions. The variety of actualized needs that the violator seeks to satisfy allows us to identify the following criminal motives: self-affirmation, self-esteem enhancement, selfish, playful, safety, humane, revenge, envy, physiological ^[3].

The potential of modern psychological science makes it possible to identify, study, and analyze the motivational components of the personality of adolescents and young men in various spheres of life at a sufficiently high level. At the same time, illegal property behavior, being a manifestation of human activity and reflecting individual psychological properties, features of the psyche and mental states of the individual, is characterized by an antisocial orientation, a specific attitude of the subject to social values and a way to achieve the goal. In addition, the characteristic of illegal property behavior is its hidden nature at various stages of preparation, implementation and post-realization ^[4].

These features of illegal behavior cause certain restrictions on the use of methods of psychodiagnostics of motivation for everyday behavior that is not associated with criminal manifestations. The limits and the degree of acceptability of the use of diagnostic methods for the college motivation of adolescents and young men are determined by a number of requirements, including:

- diagnostics of motivational constructs corresponding to the conceptual understanding of the motive of behavior as a conscious or unconscious internal urge to satisfy a need;

- the expediency of using incentive material for adolescents and young men of 14-17 years of age;

- diagnostic scales of the methodology correspond to certain types of criminal motives.

Taking into account the requirements , the psychodiagnostic complex includes:

- a method of measuring the motivational structure of a person (V. E. Milman ^[5]);

- the "Pyramid of Needs" methodology (V. V. Skvortsov ^[6] and I. A. Akindinova^[7]);

- MAS methodology (M. L. Kubyshkina^[8]);

- method of diagnostics of polymotivational tendencies in the "I-concept" of the personality of the "Proverb" (S. M. Petrova^[9]);

- methodology "scale of the need for sensations" (M. Zuckerman ^[10]);

Taking into account the main problematic issues of psychodiagnostics of juvenile offenders related to the lack of clarity of the goals of their actions and aspirations, the closeness of the need-motivational sphere from outsiders in cases related to antisocial behavior, the analysis of the reaction of the diagnosed requires the prevention of unambiguous acceptance of answers to individual questions that provoke socially approved answers regardless of self-perception or are aimed at establishing internal motives that a teenager or a young man intends to hide from parents, teachers, police officers, society as a whole.

In addition, the psychodiagnostic technique "Dominant criminal motive" developed by R. V. Ovcharova and Yu. A. Malyushina was used for the study^[11], which does not fully meet the above requirements, but is the only specialized technique found in available sources designed for psychodiagnostics of criminal motives. It should be noted that the basis for the classification of criminal motives used in the methodology is not only the content of the need, but the combined criteria for grouping. A special problematic issue is the need for offenders to give direct categorical affirmative or negative answers to questions, the vast majority of which negatively characterize the diagnosed.

Identifying the features of motivational components that have a potential impact on the formation of criminal behavior involves conducting a comparative analysis of the results of the study of minors who have previously committed offenses and law-abiding minors.

Taking into account the extensive list of selected psychodiagnostic material at the stage of preparation of the research procedure, it was decided to make two psychodiagnostic complexes comparable in the amount of time needed to undergo the diagnostic procedure. So, complex No. 1 includes the methods "Pyramid of needs", "Scale of the need for sensations", "Method of measuring the motivational structure". Complex No. 2 consisted of the methods "MAS", "Proverbs", "Dominant criminal motive".

The first group of the study was a sample of 82 minors registered with the DPR police (cities: Donetsk, Makeyevka, Gorlovka, Yenakiyevo, Snezhnoye, Torez, Shakhtersk, Khartsyzsk) for committing crimes against property. A group of juvenile delinquents for the study was randomly divided into two subgroups (42 and 40 diagnosed) and one psychodiagnostic complex was applied to each.

The second group included 134 teenagers and young men aged from 14 to 17 years, studying in schools and institutions of secondary vocational education in Donetsk, for whom there is no information about the commission of offenses by them. The group of law-abiding minors was also divided into two subgroups (60 and 74 diagnosed), with one psychodiagnostic complex applied to each.

Application of the method of measuring the motivational structure of personality. Based on the results of the application of the method of measuring the motivational structure of the individual, indicators were obtained on separate scales of dorm motivation as a separate component of the motivational sphere ^[5]. The generalized motivational profile of the dormitory sphere of juvenile offenders testifies to the dominance of consumer tendencies over productive, developmental motivations in the aggregate reaction of the diagnosed motivations. At the same time, there is a significant deviation from the general motivational trend of low indicators of status-prestige motivation and relatively high indicators of motivation to benefit society (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Generalized motivational profiles of law-abiding minors and offenders.

In the group of law-abiding teenagers and young men, there is also a dominance of the motivation of the consumer trend over the motivation of the creative series. At the same time, there is also a significant downward deviation from the general trend of status-prestige motivation.The results showed that 67% of juvenile delinquents (28 diagnosed) are dominated by the motivation to maintain life support reflecting concern for the actual conditions of existence (cf. score 8.5; rank 1), which finds a way out in the desire to provide themselves and their loved ones with material life resources of low, elementary forms (individual dominance of a certain motivation in the conditions of the study recognized finding at the two highest positions of the individual motivational profile).

52% of offenders (22 diagnosed) showed a dominant desire for comfort, pleasure and entertainment, safety and protection (cf. score 7.5; rank 2), which are more perfect, convenient and reliable acquisition than the methods of material gain characteristic of primitive consumer motivation of life support.

Comparative analysis shows an unambiguous predominance of material motivations in both groups. At the same time, in the group of offenders, the highest position is occupied by the motivation of life support, reflecting the desire for simple, primitive material life resources, incentives to satisfy unpretentious urgent needs, in the group of law–abiding - the motivation of comfort and security, reflecting concern for the means of existence in more perfect, convenient manifestations, bringing more pleasure. At the same time, the motivation indicators of primitive life support in the group of offenders are significantly higher (3.87; p <0.001) than in law-abiding ones, and the motivation indicators of advanced material forms have no statistically significant differences.

An equal number of diagnosed offenders (38%, 16 people) in their responses indicated the dominance of motivation to communicate and join the group (cf. score 6.88; rank 3), as well as motivation to bring public benefit (cf. score 6.85; rank 4).

The offenders indicated a significantly higher level of motivation for communication, joining the group (1.68; p <0.05), which may be due to, often, a more difficult situation in the family and household environment and the educational team ^[12].

In the context of studies of the motivation of offenders, it is noteworthy that 38% of adolescents and young men who had previously committed crimes (16 people) identified the dominant motivation to benefit society (in the group of law-abiding there were 7% or 4 people). Based on the answers to direct questions, a significantly greater actualization of this motivation was found in juvenile offenders than in law-abiding diagnosed (3.78; p <0.001). Such a discrepancy between the indicated desires and actual behavior, on the one hand, can be explained by the desire of a significant part of the test offenders to give socially approved answers about themselves. On the other hand, it should be noted that there are differences in the representation of socially useful actions in juvenile delinquents and law-abiding adolescents, young men. If law-abiding schoolchildren noted that cleaning the school grounds, helping friends prepare for entrance exams, organizing socially useful leisure and participating in it as a way to benefit society, then in the group of offenders the desire to help society was often reduced to home cleaning, assistance in caring for younger relatives, performing other tasks of a family and household orientation.

24% of offenders (10 people) in their responses indicated the dominance of the urge to apply their skills and energy in their chosen field of activity and at the same time are interested in the manifestation of active interaction with the surrounding reality, as well as perseverance and resistance (scale of motivation of general activity, cf. score – 6.21; rank 5);

Signs of dominance of motivation for creative activity were shown by 21% of offenders (9 diagnosed), pointing to the leading role of aspirations for creation, understanding, achieving certain creative results (cf. score 5.88; rank 6).

It is worth noting the minimum rank of 7 status-prestigious motivation. 19% of offenders (8 teenagers and young men) indicated the dominance of aspirations for the attention of others, prestige, position in society, influence and power (cf. score 5.88).

There were no significant differences between the representatives of the two groups in the indicators of motivations of general and creative activity, as well as status and prestige motivation.

Application of the "Pyramid of Needs" methodology. The analysis of the results of the application of the "Pyramid of Needs" technique in the conditions of our research is a versatile study of particular needs based on the incentive desires proposed by the developers, without systematization into need levels ^{[6; 13]}. 

According to the results of the study, a table of the significance of the desires of representatives of a group of juvenile delinquents was formed (Table 1), which made it possible to determine the generalized level of relevance of a particular need corresponding to each of the desires, and to distribute them by ranks (the satisfaction zone corresponds to values up to 4; the zone of partial dissatisfaction of the need forms an interval of values more than 4 and less than 10; indicators of more than 10 predetermine the assignment to the dissatisfaction zone).

Rank 1 corresponds to a private need to avoid trouble. The obtained indicator (10.25) indicates not only its greatest actualization among all the proposed incentives, but also being in the conditional zone of complete dissatisfaction. 68% (27 people) of offenders indicated finding an individual need to avoid trouble in a zone of complete dissatisfaction. Only 2% of offenders (1 diagnosed) have an indicator of the need to avoid trouble in the satisfaction zone. In addition to personal reasons for actualizing the need to avoid trouble, the highest group position can probably be explained by the strong stressful impact of the bitterness of failures, censure and punishment that each diagnosed offender experienced at least once during detention and the application of the procedure for bringing to justice ^[14]. The need to avoid trouble in offenders was much stronger than in law-abiding minors (4.69; p < 0.001). Perhaps the demonstrated difference in indicators is due to the fact that law-abiding minors, as a rule, do not have such a cumulative volume of individual prerequisites for actualizing this need in the form of legally significant failures, responsibility and punishment inherent in juvenile offenders.

 Table 1. Results of diagnostics of private needs of juvenile offenders using the "Pyramid of needs" methodology

It is not included in the zone of complete dissatisfaction, but the private need to be understood by others is very close to it (9.85). 55% (22) of offenders (22 diagnosed) identified this need as the most actualized, while 10% of offenders (4 people) demonstrated an unrealized state of need. In offenders, the private need to be understood by others is less satisfied than in law-abiding minors (2.93; p < 0.01). This may be due, in general, to the more problematic social environment of offenders, which is unable to meet individual communication needs and emphasizes the problem of understanding the maturing personality by others ^[15].

Also in the zone of partial dissatisfaction are the following private needs: to secure a position and influence, to do things that require full dedication, to buy good things, to strive for the new and unknown, to provide yourself with material comfort, to develop your strength and abilities, to improve the level of skill and competence, to earn a living, to secure a future, to have good interlocutors, have warm relations with people.

At the same time, juvenile offenders showed a much greater desire to buy good things than their law-abiding peers (2.18; p < 0.05). Without an in-depth individual analysis, it is not possible to determine the motives underlying the manifested desire, since desire can be based on the needs of various levels (physiological, security, belonging, respect, cognitive, aesthetic, self-actualization) ^[16].

Juvenile offenders showed significantly less actualization of the private need to secure their future (3,4; p < 0,001). This need is attributed by the authors to the security need block and, ignoring the current state of affairs and experiences, determines its perspective aspect, future stability. The results show that juvenile offenders are less eager to solve future abstract problems, preferring to satisfy current actualized needs, to fulfill current desires.

Also, juvenile offenders showed less desire to develop their strength and abilities (2.58; p < 0.05), which, according to the comments of some law-abiding minors, is the foundation for the success of future life in various spheres.

A special position in the need sphere of juvenile offenders is occupied by a private need to strengthen their position. The group value on the scale of the specified need (4.26) brings it as close as possible to the satisfaction zone, but does not cross its boundaries. There were no offenders with a high level of actualization of the need to strengthen their position, and 47% of violators (19 people) did not have this need actualized. Considering that this need also relates to the perspective direction of the security block, significantly less actualization of the need to strengthen their position among offenders than among their law-abiding peers (2.1; p < 0.05) emphasizes the neglect of future possible problems in favor of current desires.

In the satisfaction zone of offenders there is a private need to achieve recognition and respect (2.62), which closes the list of private needs when ranking. 85% of offenders (34 diagnosed) showed an individual non-actualized state of the analyzed need, while not a single offender showed a high level of actualization of the need to achieve recognition and respect. The group indicator of offenders is significantly lower than that of law-abiding adolescents and young men (2.56; p < 0.05). Low values of the private need to achieve recognition and respect in the group of juvenile offenders, in general, are not characteristic of adolescence and adolescence ^[17].  Probably, teenagers and young men who previously allowed delinquent behavior, had negative experience with the law enforcement system, and, often, living in a dysfunctional social environment really modestly approach their plans for life and desire to establish themselves in society.

Application of the "Proverbs" technique. Research using the "Proverbs" technique allowed us to obtain indicators on the level of actualization of individual motivational attitudes in the personal spheres designated by the developer, as well as motivations of individual spheres of life (a numerical value of less than 2 corresponds to a negative level of motivation or alternative motivation) ^[18].

The personal sphere of attitude to life demonstrates a high level of akizitive motivational attitude (2.82), which expresses the recognition by minor kidnappers of the importance of other values in addition to material well-being. Also, positive values were obtained on the scale of an optimistic motivational attitude (2.42), reflecting the orientation towards avoiding troubles to improve the situation, the desire to independently determine their future, as well as disagreement with their passive role when in a bad situation. The indicator of hedonistic motivational attitude (1.77) demonstrates the cumulative lack of orientation towards a long good life, carefree happiness, while reflecting the acceptance by juvenile offenders of the need to solve current life problems, overcome difficulties.

In the sphere of attitude to people, attention is drawn to the high indicator of altruistic motivational attitude (2.9), indicating the declaration by adolescents and young men who previously committed criminal encroachments on other people's rights, the desire to act for the sake of others, even to the detriment of their own interests, the orientation of their actions to others to a greater extent than to themselves. The indicator of the motivational attitude of a positive attitude towards humanity (2.44) declares that, despite the antisocial elements of the behavior of the subjects themselves, in general, they have faith in people, they appreciate the environment they have. Also, having indicated a positive motivation to avoid trouble (2,36), offenders consciously or unconsciously expressed their willingness to choose a safer way of acting, which, despite not fully leading to the necessary result, still does not lead to new problems. Low indicators of egocentric motivational attitude (1.77) express the general orientation of the subjects towards other people, the desire to benefit others, while acting without harming themselves. In their totality, juvenile offenders indicated a greater degree of orientation to the desires of others without prejudice to themselves than their law-abiding peers, whose orientation, in general, is directed at themselves without prejudice to others (2.24; p <0.05). 

Table 2. Results of the application of the "Proverbs" methodology in relation to juvenile offenders

* - the indicator in the group of offenders is statistically less than in the group of law-abiding minors (p <0.05)

            Indicators of the motivational sphere of self-attitude demonstrate that juvenile offenders have a tendency not to socially encouraged, but socially acceptable attitude towards themselves. The values on the scale of the first heuristic (perfection-oriented) motivational attitude (1.90) demonstrate a certain preference among juvenile offenders for choosing a passive life position and the predominance of hope for external circumstances in striving for development and achieving personal goals, focusing on their own capabilities and abilities. The demonstrated level of hope for their abilities and the level of aspirations to achieve high personal goals among offenders is significantly less than that of their law-abiding peers (2.2; p <0.05). The indicators of the second heuristic (aimed at superiority) motivational attitude (1.77) demonstrate that the majority of minors who have committed crimes against property are guided primarily by themselves and their emotions, neglecting the opinion of others about themselves. The results on the scale of the scaremongering motivational attitude (1.64) indicate a minimal willingness of violators to overcome life difficulties and to deal with the surrounding hindering circumstances. Minors who had previously committed crimes and were punished for them showed a greater desire to achieve individual safety than law-abiding minors and indicated in their responses a potential willingness to avoid risk (2.18; p <0.05). Such results may be due to the previously described (when describing the results of the application of the "Pyramid of Needs" technique) stressful effects that stimulate more cautious behavior.

The values of the motivational attitude of the relationship between oneself and society (individualization, 2.54) express, in general, the willingness of minors who have previously committed crimes to focus on themselves, their achievements, their own emotions without correlating them with surrounding social factors.

A comparative analysis of indicators on the scales of motivational attitudes (except for the first heuristic, egocentric and pugnistic motivational attitudes) did not reveal statistically significant differences in offenders and law-abiding minors.

The answers provided by teenagers and young men who had previously committed theft of other people's property demonstrate high values on the scale of work motivation (2.73), which in the context of studying criminal activity takes on a somewhat sarcastic tone. The analysis of the incentive material shows that the responses of offenders reflect the attitude to the need to overcome difficulties in order to achieve the material component of life success. Indicators of cognitive motivation (2.51) demonstrated acceptance by the subjects of the benefits of obtaining new knowledge and education. The value of the scale of communicative motivation (2.47) indicates an actualized need for interpersonal communication, recognition of the advantages of friendship.

            Special attention is paid to the study of responses on the scales of moral and normative motivations. Thus, indicators of moral motivation (2.28) demonstrate that adolescents and young men who have previously committed theft and other embezzlement from other citizens have a divided opinion regarding the intrapersonal obligation to observe moral norms, honesty, morality. Despite the general positive trend of compliance with moral obligations (41% or 16 diagnosed offenders indicated a positive trend of analyzed motivation), a significant part of the subjects (23% or 9 people) agreed that violation of moral norms is a characteristic human behavior and is permissible to overcome material difficulties. In addition, it is necessary to note the individual perception of moral norms, which, in the environment of communication of offenders, often do not correspond to the norms accepted in a civilized society ^[19].

The normative motivation of the subjects (1.85) is also close to the critical indicator, but has a conditional negative value, which indicated the cumulative tendencies of juvenile offenders to ignore legal norms, willingness to make an exception to the rules if there is a personal interest, as well as their own interpretation of the law, distorted in their favor. Thus, 44% (17) of offenders showed a negative attitude to legal norms. Another 28% (11) of violators indicated the adoption of the force of the law and the need to comply with it, of which only 5% (2 diagnosed) we did it absolutely.

Statistically significant differences between indicators of labor, cognitive, communicative, moral and normative motivations of offenders and law-abiding minors were not revealed.

Application of the "MAS" technique. The use of the MAS psychodiagnostic technique made it possible to obtain indicators of motivational aspirations to achieve goals, to compete, to social prestige ^[20].

The analysis of the responses of juvenile offenders to direct questions about the frequency of situations allowed us to obtain an average value of 25.76 and demonstrated their declaration of the predominance of the desire to achieve the goal (60% of offenders (24 diagnosed) indicated the first position of this aspiration with their answers, 27% (11 adolescents) – the second position). At the same time, according to the responses of violators, their desire to achieve the goal is much stronger than that of law-abiding ones (2.17; p < 0.05). They, to a greater extent than their law-abiding peers, indicated a willingness to work hard and efficiently, finish the job they started, overcome difficulties and make sacrifices in order to achieve results.

To a lesser extent, juvenile offenders identified their own aspirations for rivalry (24.55; rank 2) and aspirations for social prestige (23.22; rank 3). A comparison of the reactions of offenders and law-abiding minors shows the absence of statistically significant differences in the responses forming the scales of motivational aspirations for social prestige and competition.

Application of the "Scale of the need for sensations" technique. The study of the responses received when using the "Sensation Need Scale" technique allows us to conclude that juvenile offenders, in general, are able to control their own aspirations for new, acute sensations and have a moderate degree of satisfaction of the need for sensations (the level of the need for sensations is 1.95; the number of responses matching the key is 7.77). The reaction of 81% of violators (34 teenagers) corresponds to the average level of the need for sensations. 7% of the diagnosed (3 people) who had previously committed property crimes showed a strong, possibly uncontrolled attraction to new, exciting impressions, which is a provoking factor to participate in reckless risk-related activities. At the same time, 12 offenders (5 people) showed their own excessive foresight and caution in their responses. Thus, the diagnosed, who had previously been directly involved in criminal activities associated with risk and obtaining new sensations, for the most part in their responses indicated a moderate preference for stability and order to the unknown and unexpected. On the one hand, it is possible that it was the negative consequences and troubles caused by criminal prosecution that prompted the conscious or unconscious provision of answers corresponding to cautious behavior. On the other hand, the methodology contains a number of incentive questions, the answers to which negatively characterize the student in the eyes of others (for example, "I would try some of the unfamiliar drugs that cause hallucinations" ^[10]), which in some cases leads to insincere answers.

Comparison of the results shown by juvenile offenders did not reveal statistically significant differences with the results of law-abiding minors.

Application of the "Dominant criminal motive" technique. Despite incomplete compliance with the requirements of the selection of psychodiagnostic tools, a diagnostic procedure was carried out using the "Dominant Criminal Motive" technique. Also, based on the direct responses of juvenile offenders, generalized indicators were formed for each of the criminal motives identified by the classification used ^[21]. The ranking demonstrated the cumulative dominance of the criminal gaming motive among juvenile delinquents (cf. score – 4.17). 75% of offenders (30 people) indicated a predominant position in their motivational structure of motives to experience special emotions associated with jokes and pampering, recreation and pleasant pastime, competition and rivalry, including in violation of certain rules and norms (figure 2)

Figure 2. Comparison of rank indicators by the method of "Dominant criminal motive" of offenders and law-abiding minors

The criminal aggressive motive (3.62) is the second most important motive in the group of offenders. The urge to show violence against people and animals in the real or virtual world, to enjoy watching scenes of cruelty are dominant in 47% of juvenile offenders (19 people).

Rank 3 is assigned to a criminal emotional motive (3.4). The responses of 45% of offenders (18 diagnosed) demonstrated the dominance of motives caused by the need to discharge intrapersonal stable and aggravated negative emotional states, which they are ready to compensate in an illegal way.

The position of the criminal motive of self-affirmation (2.97; rank 4) was determined by 30% of offenders (12 diagnosed) who showed the dominance of criminal motives to assert themselves at the social, socio-psychological and individual levels.

Indicators of criminal immoral motive (2.83; rank 5) and criminal frustration motive (2.82; rank 6) indicate the least representation of immoral drives, the satisfaction of which a teenager cannot achieve in a legitimate way, as well as motives caused by emotions that arose due to the inability to achieve a goal or satisfy a need. 27% of juvenile offenders (11 people) identified the dominance of these motives.

The ranking of indicators of the application of the methodology in relation to law-abiding minors demonstrated similar results to the group of offenders (with the exception of the criminal motive of self-assertion, which in the group of law-abiding adolescents and young men has rank 3). Comparison of the results revealed that juvenile delinquents to a much lesser extent (2.43; p < 0.05) than their law-abiding peers showed illegal aspirations for recognition by a significant environment, achieving a positive assessment of their own personality in society, as well as increasing self-esteem, self-esteem, and self-esteem.

The results, based on the direct categorical affirmative or negative answers of the diagnosed to the questions, most of which may negatively characterize them, did not reveal significant differences in the indications of criminal gaming, aggressive, emotional, immoral and frustrating motives among representatives of a group of juvenile offenders and a group of law-abiding minors.

The results of the use of psychodiagnostic techniques designed to study motivation not related to illegal behavior in relation to juvenile offenders and their law-abiding peers showed that juvenile offenders are characterized by:

- the dominance of consumer motivation over productive, developmental motivation. At the same time, offenders tend, firstly, to solve current problems while ignoring long-term decent material security, and secondly, to satisfy primitive material needs at the expense of higher-level material costs;

- actualization of the need to avoid trouble, the presence of aspirations to act in a problem-free way to the detriment of the result, demonstration of unwillingness to overcome difficulties, to take risks;

- cumulative low level of motivation in the field of self-esteem and self-affirmation, both in the structure of the personal need-motivation sphere, and in comparison with law-abiding minors;

- declaration of the desire to benefit, to help other people;

- actualization of the need for interpersonal communication, in which orientation to one's own emotions and aspirations to be understood are indicated.

The acquired knowledge about the needs and motivational sphere of juvenile offenders, understanding the differences between the motivational components of adolescents and young men who have previously committed offenses and law-abiding peers allow employees of all bodies and institutions of the juvenile delinquency prevention system to prevent illegal behavior at a qualitatively new level, eliminate the causes and conditions that contribute to this, conduct socio-pedagogical rehabilitation of minors who have committed an offense or an antisocial action.