Notions of Students about Risks of Involvement of the Person in Criminal Activity: Focus-Group Research

The article presents the results of a focus group study of respondents’ submissions (university students) on the potential risks of involving a person in criminal activity in modern society. The judgments of the representatives of the target group were based on the experience of everyday life (one’s own, acquaintances and relatives) and information obtained from the mass media. The content of respondents’ social representations is structured in relation to social groups (adolescents, youth and adults) and the specific risks of accusing them of criminal activity. Results: the social group of adolescents are considered participants of the discussion as having the highest risks of becoming involved in criminal activity due to external factors (negative incentives for the media environment, the presence of adolescents in the zone of criminal influence) and internal (age-psychological characteristics) factors; the social group “Youth” is not considered by them as having high risks in terms of involvement in criminal activity; social group “Adults”, according to respondents, is susceptible to involvement in criminal activities mainly in connection with the action of limited external factors (socioeconomic). Respondents identified two subgroups – “Adolescents from poor families” and “Rich Kids” – who are especially inclined to engage in crime because of the special characteristics associated with the material status of the latter.