Dysfunctionality of Psychological Boundaries of Personality as a Predictor of Internet-Dependent Behavior of Deviant Teenagers

The relevance of the study is determined by the increasing prevalence of Internet-addictive behavior among adolescents, which leads to social maladaptation.
Purpose. The aim of the research is to empirically identify and evaluate the diagnostic potential of indicators of psychological boundaries of personality for predicting the risk of desocialization and Internet-addictive behavior in minors exhibiting deviant behavior.
Methodology. The empirical study was conducted from 2020 to 2024 in closed-type educational institutions of the Leningrad and Vologda regions and included 63 male adolescents with deviant behavior. The subject of the study concerned the relationship between the characteristics of psychological boundaries and Internet-addictive behavior in this population. To achieve the research objectives, a set of psychodiagnostic tools was applied, including Caplan’s Problematic Internet Use Scale (modified by Gerasimova A.A. and Kholmogorova A.B.), Nartova-Bochaver’s “Sovereignty of the Psychological Space” questionnaire, Levi’s “Psychological Boundaries of Personality” method, and Pantileev’s Self-Attitude Assessment technique. Data were processed using descriptive and correlation analysis.
Results. The results indicate that dysfunctional psychological boundaries in adolescents are expressed in reduced autonomy and impaired emotional regulation, which reflect personality immaturity. These characteristics contribute to the development of Internet addiction, facilitating rapid psychological withdrawal into virtual reality. The authors found that maintaining the integrity and protection of an adolescent’s personal space, which ensures a sense of safety and control, is critically important for preventing Internet-addictive behavior and underscores the role of autonomy in healthy psychological development. Adequate self-esteem and a consistent motivation for self-improvement reduce the risk of Internet addiction, highlighting the importance of critical self-reflection and internally driven behavioral regulation. These conclusions are consistent with existing research on the role of self-regulation and goal-directed activity in preventing addictive behavior.
Conclusion. The findings demonstrate the necessity of integrating targeted psychological interventions into the work of educational institutions. Such interventions should aim to develop functional psychological boundaries, enhance self-regulatory competence, support adolescents’ sense of personal security both offline and online, strengthen adequate self-esteem, and cultivate motivation for self-improvement and critical thinking regarding digital content and online interaction. Implementing these measures may help reduce the prevalence of Internet-addictive behavior and improve adolescents’ psychological well-being, which is of particular relevance for individuals exhibiting deviant behavior and is essential for their successful social integration.

1. Gerasimova A.A., Kholmogorova A.B. Obshchaya shkala problemnogo ispol’zovaniya interneta: aprobaciya i validizaciya v rossijskoj vyborke tret’ej versii oprosnika [General Scale of Problematic Internet Use: Testing and Validation of the Third Version of the Questionnaire in a Russian Sample]. Konsul’tativnaya psihologiya i psihoterapiya [Consulting Psychology and Psychotherapy]. 2018; (3): 56–79. DOI: 10.17759/cpp.2018260304. (In Russ.)

2. Dementiy L.I. Osobennosti impul’sivnosti podrostkov s raznoj stepen’yu riska deviantnogo povedeniya [Features of impulsivity of adolescents with different degrees of risk of deviant behavior]. Samoregulyaciya lichnosti v kontekste zhiznedeyatel’nosti: materialy Vserossijskoj nauchno-prakticheskoj konferencii s mezhdunarodnym uchastiem [Self-regulation of personality in the context of life activity: materials of the All-Russian scientific and practical conference with international participation]. Omsk, 2017. Pp. 111–114. (In Russ.)

3. Kotova S.A. Internet-zavisimost’ u detej i podrostkov: riski, diagnostika i korrekciya [Internet addiction in children and adolescents: risks, diagnostics and correction]. St. Petersburg, 2023. 212 p. (In Russ.)

4. Levi T.S. Metodika diagnostiki psihologicheskoj granicy lichnosti [Methodology for Diagnosing the Psychological Boundary of an Individual]. Voprosy psikhologii [Questions of psychology]. 2013; (1): 1–16. (In Russ.)

5. Morozov A.V. K probleme social’no-psihologicheskoj adaptacii lichnosti v podrostkovom vozraste [On the Problem of Social and Psychological Adaptation of an Individual in Adolescence]. Chelovecheskij faktor: Social’nyj psiholog [Human Factor: Social Psychologist]. 2025; (2): 152–159. (In Russ.)

6. Nartova-Bochaver S.K. Oprosnik «Novaya versiya oprosnika «Suverennost’ psihologicheskogo prostranstva-2010» [Questionnaire “New version of the questionnaire “Sovereignty of psychological space-2010”]. Psikhologicheskii zhurnal [Psychological journal]. 2014; (3): 105–119. (In Russ.)

7. Nartova-Bochaver S.K. Ponyatie «psihologicheskoe prostranstvo lichnosti»: obosnovanie i prikladnoe znachenie [The concept of “psychological space of the individual”: substantiation and applied significance]. Psikhologicheskii zhurnal [Psychological Journal]. 2003; (6): 27–36. (In Russ.)

8. Pantileev S.R. Samootnoshenie kak emocional’no-ocenochnaya sistema [Self-attitude as an Emotional and Evaluative System]. Moscow, 1991. 108 p. (In Russ.)

9. Shapoval I.A., Fominykh E.S. Samootnoshenie kak fenomenologicheskoe pole diagnostiki psihologicheskih granic lichnosti i ee zdorov’ya [Self-attitude as a phenomenological field for diagnosing psychological boundaries of personality and its health]. Klinicheskaya i special’naya psihologiya [Clinical and Special Psychology]. 2018; (7(1)): 13–27. (In Russ.)

10. Sharapov A.O., Vorotyntseva D.A., Grinyova O.I. Life concept development of students prone to deviant behavior. Vestnik psihologii i pedagogiki Altajskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta [Bulletin of Psychology and Pedagogy of the Altai State University]. 2022; (3): 90–99. (In Russ.)