Psychological aspects of minority crime in Russia: causes, tendencies, and preventive measures

The article analyzes the psychological aspect of criminal behavior among minors in the Russian Federation, examining what factors, in addition to personality traits, influence it. It explores how such important institutions as the family and school can contribute to the development of deviant behavior. Special attention is paid to the influence of a negative environment, family dysfunction, the information space, and the internet on the formation of a teenager’s personality and their behavior. Several theories that explain why teenagers commit crimes are presented, for example, the theory of anomie, the theory of social welfare, the theory of deviant subculture, etc. The statistics for the period 2024–2026 are being analysed. Based on official data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation, it was determined at what age minors most often commit offences, which types of crimes are the most common among this category of persons, and what punishments are imposed on them. The conclusion is that a comprehensive approach is needed — one that will help identify risk factors and the development of deviant behaviour at an early stage. A set of measures has been proposed, including the introduction of school mediation technologies, psychological correction of family relationships, and improving the digital safety of minors and their parents.