THE ISSUE OF VICTIMOGENIC POTENTIAL IN THE ORPHANAGE PHENOMENOLOGY: SOCIAL DEPRIVATION AS A FACTOR OF FORMATION OF A VICTIM POSITION

The orphanage is a complex socially important problem. The development of its theoretical and applied aspects is in the spotlight of many contemporary scientific studies. In the context of intense public transformations, the scientific interest in the analysis of the victimogenic potential of the orphanage institution deprivation conditions as a factor of the orphans’ victim position formation and anchoring became currently important. Highly-victimity status of the orphans causes the difficulties of their appropriate adaptation, integration, effective and appropriate personal-social functioning, and initially after leaving an orphanage institution/foster home.  

This paper presents the preconditions for the formation of the issue of orphanage and victimogenity of deprivation conditions. The author highlights the role of traumatizing experience of life in a family as a condition for the formation of deep secondary disturbances in psychophysical and psychosocial development causing the increase of victimogenic potential of the orphans. The paper summarizes the deprivation environment of an orphanage institution, which influence causes the activation and the anchoring of the attitude for a victim behavior: autonomy deficiency, inability to plan, to make choice and decision, inner resources deficiency, relying on a group. In the process of theoretical study, the psychological mechanisms of a victim position formation (violation of psychological boundaries of a person), its functions within the orphanage institution environment were highlighted. The author defined that the consequences of social deprivation remain at the level of underlying personality structures, are being strictly fixed in behavior, determine the peculiarity of interrelations with the external world: the violation of socio-psychological adaptation; the emphasizing of personality traits determining the difficulties of social functioning; the sensitivity to negative impact of public processes; the closedness; the isolation; the pensional attitude; the different forms of deviant behavior, and so on.