Russian Experience of Socially Useful Activities in Preventing Schoolchildren’s Deviations: A Socio-Legal and Pedagogical Perspective

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Introduction Children’s socially useful activities are an important condition for the progressive development of positive moral qualities and personal constructive behavioral skills, as well as a source of accumulation of experience in socially acceptable behavior. The system of these activities creates various forms of constructive communication, strengthening mental and moral qualities that foster the senses of patriotism, civic consciousness, independence and responsibility, and shaping significant values and norms of social competence. It is no accident that Johann H. Pestalozzi noted the social value of labor training and upbringing, calling them a means of developing physical, mental and moral abilities of school-age children (Bacon & Pestalozzi, 2025). In our opinion, as demonstrated by Russian experience, socially useful activities serve as a link between the socio-legal and pedagogical components of preventing schoolchildren’s deviations. These two approaches complement each other, forming a comprehensive system for preventing deviant behavior. Social and legal measures are aimed at creating a legal framework, regulating relations and protecting the rights of minors, as well as preventing and suppressing offenses. The pedagogical component focuses on educational and developmental measures aimed at forming socially significant personality traits and preventing deviations. The problem of studying the Russian experience of socially useful activities in preventing schoolchildren’s deviations from socio-legal and pedagogical perspectives lies in the complexity, versatility and contradictory nature of the factors influencing the formation of deviant behavior, as well as the need to integrate various (legal and pedagogical) approaches and institutions in order to overcome it. Solutions to the problem may include: 1. Strengthening social and legal protection mechanisms. It is important to ensure the effective implementation of existing legal instruments to protect the rights of children and adolescents and prevent their involvement in antisocial activities. 2. Improving the accounting and monitoring system. It is necessary to improve the systems for the early identification of adolescents at risk and systematic monitoring of the effectiveness of preventive measures. 3. Implementing social and educational strategies. This includes diagnosing adolescents’ attitudes toward themselves, others, and the parenting process, as well as developing individual and group intervention programs. The strategies should be aimed at eliminating sources of discomfort, developing problem-solving skills, and promoting socially acceptable behavior. 4. Organizing socially useful activities: volunteering and participating in environmental actions, social projects, creative and sporting events can become effective prevention tools. 5. Interacting with families and the social environment. It is important to involve parents in preventive work, provide them with consultations, and help optimize parent-child relationships. It is also necessary to take into account the influence of the micro-socium (street companies, reference persons) and deal with it. 6. Creating a psychologically safe educational environment. This includes preventing bullying, developing tolerance, and maintaining a positive team climate. Such an environment helps reduce stress and conflict, which can provoke deviant behavior. 7. Ensuring interdepartmental cooperation. Coordinating the efforts of educational institutions, social services, law enforcement agencies, healthcare and other institutions will create a unified prevention system. 8. Conducting research work, including: studying and summarizing positive experiences, conducting empirical studies to identify the most effective practices and scale them at the federal level. Solving the problem requires an integrated approach combining legal improvements, the development of socio-pedagogical methods, the active involvement of adolescents in socially useful activities and the strengthening of interdepartmental cooperation. The purpose of this work is to systematize the accumulated knowledge and practical experience of socially useful activities of the younger generation in Russia, as well as to identify potential areas for the development of these activities as a tool for preventing deviations. The novelty of this study of the Russian experience of socially useful activities in preventing schoolchildren’s deviations lies in the integration of socio-legal and pedagogical approaches. Traditionally, research in this area has often focused either on legal aspects (regulation, responsibility, interaction of government agencies) or on pedagogical ones (methods of working with students, prevention programs). The social value of socially useful activities of the younger generation can be studied by considering the experience of such great educators as Anton S. Makarenko (who headed juvenile correctional facility for neglected and homeless minors named after Maxim Gorky, a commune named after Felix E. Dzerzhinsky, etc.) (Makarenko, 1972; Makarenko, 1983; Makarenko, 1988) or Igor P. Ivanov (who organized collective and creative activities, which received various names: “Pedagogy of cooperation”, “Eaglet pedagogy”, “Education according to Ivanov”, “Communard methodology”) (Ivanov, 1982; Ivanov, 1989). Anton S. Makarenko created conditions for children that would facilitate the discovery and development of their individual abilities, so that they could be practically tested in their team, in an atmosphere of support, recognition, and approval. The work should be structured so that each child could find a place within the team to develop their abilities. The teacher utilized “free education”, a clear, targeted system of educational tools, eliminating parasitic and consumerist tendencies in the life position of the team and individuals, maximizing the development of children’s independence and creativity, inseparably linked with the cultivation of duty and responsibility. According to Anton S. Makarenko, socially useful activities must create conditions in which children experience a sense of pride in their participation in a socially useful undertaking being created (Makarenko, 1972; Makarenko, 1988). In modern Russian research, socially useful activities of children and adolescents are defined as: - conscious individual or collective non-commercial activity carried out not for profit, but aimed at satisfying public needs and requirements, improving people’s quality of life, and creating a friendly and comfortable social environment (Bakhtina & Popko, 2017; Bobrovskaya & Vasilyeva, 2026); and - diverse labor and socially demanded activities aimed at satisfying any social needs and requirements as a manifestation of active patriotism (Kiryakova et al., 2025; Pisarev, 2026). Most often, socially useful activities of school-age children and adolescents are interpreted as activity manifested in volunteerism (Aksyutina, 2022; Belyankova, 2016; Cheshagorova, 2022; Dyachkova & Zarnichenko, 2018; Nechaeva, 2022; Nosova, 2007; Savva, 2010; Solovyova & Tsutskiridze, 2022). The basis of schoolchildren’s socially useful activities is volunteerism. In pedagogy and related sciences, the concept of ‘volunteerism’ is used in the traditional sense of unpaid labor as a type of human activity in organizing the achievement of socially significant goals and providing social assistance to those in need (Shubovich et al., 2025). Foreign scientific sources have published studies on schoolchildren’s socially useful activities, their role in socialization, motivation, development of social activity, and prevention of deviations of the younger generation. For example, schoolchildren’s socially useful activities are viewed through the prism of: - Extracurricular activities, which create conditions for developing constructive skills, values, and networks of connections necessary for future political participation and social engagement (Lundberg & Abdelzadeh, 2025). - Youth work aimed at forming an active civic position, social activity and independence. The main goal is to prepare young people for active participation in public life. This is achieved through participation in youth communities, discussion of social, cultural, and moral issues, as well as through practical activities that help develop skills for participation in decision-making. Young people actively participate in volunteer activities, which is legally enshrined and guaranteed by the state. Volunteering is seen as a way to acquire social skills and generate enthusiasm and motivation for active citizenship. Schoolchildren’s socially useful activities in the framework of youth work are aimed not only at acquiring knowledge, but also at developing practical skills, motivation and willingness to participate in society (Hoylä, 2012). - Civic participation, focused on improving the community, developing social skills, and fostering civic responsibility. The forms of socially useful activities in the context of civic participation include: (1) volunteering, i.e., voluntary assistance to other people, participation in charity projects; (2) working in teams, youth associations and church organizations, i.e., joint activities aimed at solving social problems; and (3) performing solidarity work, i.e., activities related to supporting those in need or participating in social initiatives. Mentoring is helping other people, such as training or supporting less experienced peers. Socially useful activities are considered not just as a set of specific actions, but as a process that promotes the participation of the younger generation in solving social problems and developing a sense of belonging to the community life (Oubiña & Gomez, 2025; Heur & Hairapetian, 2025). Other studies emphasize not the traditional understanding of socially useful activities, but rather a methodology for involving schoolchildren in research and decision-making, which in itself is socially significant. Socially useful activities are understood through the active participation of the younger generation in research, projects, and transformations of the environment that influence their social activity. This is not a traditional form of work or volunteerism, it is a form of active citizenship and participation in solving social problems through the prism of one’s own experience, a process of co-creation of knowledge and solutions aimed at improving conditions for a healthy lifestyle in their community (Gil et al., 2023; Madsen et al., 2025). We identify the following goals for schoolchildren’s socially useful activities: - ensuring recognition: active participation in socially useful activities provides an opportunity to gain adult approval, build diverse relationships with peers, and expand their circle of favorable communication; - developing leadership and social skills: involvement in socially useful collective activities helps children and adolescents improve and develop their leadership skills to become more confident and active; - understanding the needs and analyzing the structure of society: schoolchildren learn to better understand their needs, analyze social laws, develop a program for their behavior, and discern its causes and consequences; and - fostering diligence and responsibility: socially useful work instills in children and adolescents diligence, determination, discipline, thrift, and respect for work for the common good. T. Walker notes that the principle of joy occupies a dominant place in the educational process. He argues that schoolchildren’s achievements are based on the idea that learning, like work, should bring joy (Walker, 2018). It can be assumed that socially useful work is also aimed at creating conditions in which the activity brings satisfaction, joy, and a sense of achievement. The goals of socially useful activities for schoolchildren are reflected in the results of a survey of school principals and subject teachers of general educational organizations from 68 regions of the Russian Federation. These include: labor education and career guidance; students’ socialization; and a significant expansion of social partnership within the framework of labor education practices (Pisarev, 2026). Socially useful activities can be carried out by schoolchildren in educational institutions, at home, and beyond. In any case, they must have a specific social addressee and solve a specific social and/or socio-cultural problem. The forms of schoolchildren’s socially useful activities are varied, including: - self-care, self-help, mutual assistance to parents, grandparents, and relatives, caring for younger (siblings), as well as pet care; - participation in school-wide or extracurricular activities, student self-government, and classroom duty; - charity events (for peers, the elderly, families in need, etc.); implementation of and participation in social projects; - urban beautification (greening, cleaning of surrounding areas, etc.): protecting nature and cultural monuments, participating in environmental marches, removing garbage and pollution, making birdhouses and bird feeders, collecting feed and feeding birds, and much more (Glubokova et al., 2025). Socio-legal concepts of socially useful activities and prevention of deviations in schoolchildren in Russia Practices for developing social activity and fostering an active civic position in the younger generation are regulated by Federal Law No. 273-FZ “On Education in the Russian Federation”[14]. The law enshrines students’ diligence and responsible work ethic as part of their education (Art. 2). It also classifies participation in socially useful work as a form of social interaction arising in the field of education and establishes additional responsibilities for students, including maintaining cleanliness and order within the educational institution (Art. 43). The law was amended (by Federal Law No. 479-FZ “On Amendments to the Federal Law on Education in the Russian Federation”[15]), eliminating the prohibition on involving students in work not covered by the educational program without their consent and the consent of their legal representatives. Involving schoolchildren in work outside the curriculum is permitted, but in this case, the process is regulated by labor legislation. In addition, Federal Law No. 259-FZ “On Amendments to Article 63 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation”[16] also introduced amendments that established requirements for involving students in work in compliance with sanitary standards, labor protection standards, and a list of permitted types of work and workloads for minors. Not long ago, in Soviet times, it was common for schoolchildren to wash the blackboard and floor, clean the classroom, keep watch in the cafeteria or during recess, collect scrap metal and even help state farms with harvesting potatoes or beets. There were also labor and recreation camps, where schoolchildren aged 12 and older worked on state farms for four hours a day during school holidays, sometimes even longer. In 1958, the Supreme Council of the USSR adopted the Law “On Strengthening the Connection of Schools with Life and on the Further Development of the Public Education System in the USSR”[17]. The first article of this law stated that the primary goal of school was to prepare students (schoolchildren) for life and socially useful work. In 1984, the Regulation “On the Organization of Socially Useful and Productive Labor for Students in General Education Schools”[18] was approved. According to this regulation, mandatory socially useful work was included in the curriculum: 1 hour per week in elementary grades, 2-3 hours in grades 5-8, and up to 4 hours per week in high school. Annual work practice was also required, ranging from 10 days of 3 hours per day in elementary grades to 20 days of 6 hours per day in high school. This provision is no longer in effect in the Russian Federation as of May 6, 2020. In 2023, schoolchildren’s socially useful activities were granted official status in accordance with Federal Law No. 479-FZ[19]. Since then, students (schoolchildren) have been required to participate in socially useful work and be responsible for its results. Importantly, the educational institution is responsible for facilitating students’ volunteer activities as a form of socially demanded activity. Some authors focus on analyzing the regulatory and legal approach to labor education, its role in the education system, and the regulation of this process at the federal, regional and local levels. It is emphasized that labor education in modern conditions is focused on the implementation of mechanisms based on the regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation. Particular attention is paid to the inclusion of schoolchildren in socially useful activities and volunteer practices within the framework of federal state educational standards, exemplary and work education programs (Abashina & Oparina, 2025). In our opinion, in accordance with modern legislation, students’ responsibilities should be complemented by socially useful work within or beyond the educational program. Nowadays children truly lack an understanding of the value of work. Therefore, if students engage in a common cause for the benefit of themselves and others, this will undoubtedly raise better-mannered individuals. Children begin to value their own work and the work of others, and have no time for deviations. In order to involve schoolchildren in in-demand work activities, it is necessary to fill one month or two weeks of summer holidays with work practice, as was previously the case. Furthermore, there are certain activities that will be interesting for students and will not take up much of the school time. However, it is crucial not to overdo socially useful therapy, lest it degenerate into the exploitation of child labor. In Russia, school trips to harvest potatoes, beets, and carrots ceased in the first half of the 1990s due to the abolition of forced labor and the general decline of “kolkhoz” agriculture. Today, the law allows schools to involve schoolchildren in agricultural work, as was the case during Soviet times. It is certainly worthwhile to involve schoolchildren in this type of socially useful work. At one time, working on a collective or state farm was an important part of school life, when schoolchildren helped with the potato and beet harvest, planting trees and flowers, and working in hayfields. Elementary school children were not involved in field work, but they could work at school sites, providing assistance in the library, museum, etc. Today, the law allows schoolchildren to be involved in work outside the curriculum, and therefore it is important to instill skills and habits for socially useful and productive work in schools. Society inevitably changes, and so do social attitudes and values, unfortunately, not always for the better. As a result, deviations emerge, which are particularly prevalent among minors. Socially useful activities often serve as a prerequisite and mechanism for preventing deviations in children and adolescents. The main task of socially useful activities is to prevent deviation and/or prevent it from developing into delinquency. For this reason, these activities are in demand and foster comprehensive relationships, shaping forms of communication among children (in particular with the adult world) (Torkhova et al., 2009). We believe that the problem lies in the contradiction between social needs and the objective possibility of creating conditions for socially useful activities of children and adolescents as a means of preventing deviations, as well as the insufficiently developed methodological and technological support for the organized prevention of childhood deviance in the socio-cultural environment of society. The problem of preventing deviations in schoolchildren during socially useful activities is a well-studied topic, frequently encountered in modern scientific research (Aksyutina, 2022; Bakhtina & Popko, 2017; Divitsyna, 2008; Gurvich et al., 2006; Milkevich, 2024; Shubovich et al., 2025; Torkhova et al., 2009; Vetoshkin, 2010). The theoretical understanding of socially useful activities as a direction for deviation prevention is considered through the prism of the multifaceted foundations of the issue under study. Despite different interpretations, many researchers consider the main criterion for deviant behavior in children and adolescents to be the violation of norms accepted in a given society, as well as problems of youth socialization (Feldstein, 2009; Kovaleva, 2003; Zubok, 2003). There are several main types of deviant behavior in schoolchildren: avoidance of academic and work activities; antisocial acts of a violent, selfish and sexual nature; alcohol abuse, drug and toxic substance use; vagrancy and gambling (Maisak, 2009; Peresheina & Zastrovtseva). The importance of socially useful activities in preventing deviance among children and adolescents is the subject of scientific research (Bakhtina & Popko, 2017; Nikolaev, 2005; Podolsky, 2017; Potemkina, 2013; Teterskiy, 2005). Thus, the problem we have identified is interdisciplinary in nature and is addressed in such sciences as sociology, social work, law, pedagogy, and psychology. While it has been extensively covered in the scientific literature (this applies to issues of childhood and adolescent deviance and the importance of socially useful activities in preventing deviance in the younger generation), the prospects for developing socially useful activities for children and adolescents as a means of preventing deviance have not received conceptual consideration at the socio-legal level. ‘Prevention’ refers to timely actions aimed at preventing potential behavioral deviations. The definition of the concept of ‘prevention’ is also enshrined in the following laws. Federal Law No. 323-FZ “On the Fundamentals of Public Health Protection in the Russian Federation”[20] defines prevention as a set of measures aimed at preserving and strengthening health and including the formation of a healthy lifestyle, preventing the occurrence and (or) spread of diseases, their early detection, identification of the causes and conditions of their occurrence and development, as well as aimed at eliminating the harmful effects of environmental factors on human health. Federal Law No. 182-FZ “On the Fundamentals of the Crime Prevention System in the Russian Federation”[21] defines prevention as a set of social, legal, organizational, informational and other measures aimed at identifying and eliminating the causes and conditions conducive to the commission of offenses, as well as providing educational influence on individuals in order to prevent the commission of offenses or antisocial behavior. Federal Law No. 273-FZ “On Education in the Russian Federation”[22] defines prevention in the context of protecting the health of students (Art. 41). We believe that the problem of deviance arises in society as a result of a value-normative vacuum and the lack of strict regulation of individual behavior, as well as social indifference or permissiveness. In the classical view, deviant behavior is defined as violating the values and norms of behavior established in society. Deviance is a form of pathologically incorrect behavior that contradicts social norms and the rules of specific social groups. This contradiction is noticed in society, resulting in attempts to correct this form of behavior through the socialization and the adoption of new social practices. In our opinion, the causes of deviation among children and adolescents are due to a lack of control. The practices of deviant behavior among young people should be divided into group and individual ones. The group deviance is characteristic of large social groups that exhibit elements of counterculture, contrasting their views with the dominant culture (values of hippies, youth trends, etc.). The individual deviance demonstrates the difficulty of mastering the dominant sociocultural norms for each individual, their individualization, and characteristic manifestations of a particular representative of humanity. It is important to note that socially useful activities are an effective means of preventing deviant behavior in children and adolescents. For example, a number of authors substantiate the effectiveness of including “difficult teenagers” in the activities of construction brigades as a preventive measure against neglect (Bakhtina & Popko, 2017). Others point out that deviance prevention efforts should be implemented with adolescents by involving them in socially useful activities, such as volunteering (Dyachkova & Zarnichenko, 2018; Shubovich et al., 2025). We can add that general prevention includes a set of universal measures applied when a problem is identified and can be quickly localized. Special preventive measures are used when a problem is detected at an advanced stage or when there are prerequisites for social deviations in the system of public relations. In our view, the prevention of adolescent deviance should be divided into three stages, as follows: 1. Primary prevention, aimed at proactive action in relation to a dysfunctional family, when, for example, there is already a problem with one delinquent child, and with other children, although the problem has not yet arisen, there are warning signs of social deviations (facts of alcohol consumption, smoking, etc.). 2. Secondary prevention, including a set of measures aimed at correcting the behavior of teenagers who, for instance, have experience using drugs or alcohol or have committed illegal acts. 3. Tertiary prevention, combining a set of measures that include social adaptation for adolescents who clearly have social and medical problems (longterm alcohol and drugs use). The task at this stage is to create a supportive (developmental) environment: therapeutic communities, participation in regional rehabilitation programs, organization of leisure activities for teenagers based on their interests, hobbies, etc. In the prevention of deviant behavior, when socially useful activities are organized for schoolchildren, we identify the following aspects: - Voluntary assistance to people in need, through which young people are introduced to the traditional values of humanism, respect for other people, and mutual assistance to those in dire need. Volunteer youth organizations can harness the potential of disadvantaged youth to prevent negative social deviations and correct behavior through socially useful activities; - Information support for socially useful activities can be provided by involving children and adolescents in roundtable discussions and certain conversations (e.g., with psychologists, social workers, custody specialists). The goal of such work is to instill right life guidelines in the younger generation, reduce destructive forms and participation in destructive social groups, and mitigate the risks of delinquent behavior among adolescents. Furthermore, these adolescents are taught to make constructive decisions and take responsibility for the fate of others and their own lives; - Social learning, which is the process of reinforcing positive patterns. It is no secret that for many disadvantaged children and adolescents, their social environment plays a significant role, exerting a negative influence. Teaching appropriate social practices is an important task, as it helps develop correct attitudes in adolescents, thereby correcting their behavior. Moreover, certain forms of mentoring are appropriate not only for adolescents but also for their parents, to prevent their immediate environment from modeling antisocial behavior. Mentoring is designed to develop a systematic approach to working with adolescents from disadvantaged families in order to constantly monitor the behavior of the adolescents and their parents, as well as their immediate social environment, and to conduct ongoing monitoring in this area of action; - Collective creative activities aimed at preventing social deviations among adolescents are designed to instill correct attitudes toward collective responsibility, mutual assistance, etc.; - Forming initiative groups, the essence of which is to maintain friendship, which helps to reduce forms of social deviations among adolescents. Assigning tasks is intended to ensure their joint fulfillment, as well as the final result. The aspects we have highlighted can also be found in the scientific literature. For example, G.N. Potemkina identifies pedagogical conditions for organizing socially useful activities to correct adolescent deviant behavior. The author focuses on the role of collective creative associations and the transformation of antisocial activities into socially significant ones. The main idea is that correction should be based on transforming adolescent antisocial activity into socially useful ones with a positive orientation, which allows for a reorientation of motivation and change in the behavioral direction (Potemkina, 2013). The pedagogical perspective of the Russian experience of correcting and preventing schoolchildren’s deviations through socially useful activities In 1920, a school-commune for neglected homeless boys was founded in Petrograd. It was named after Fyodor M. Dostoevsky. It gained widespread recognition thanks to the 1966 film The Republic of ShKID[23], based on the fictionalized autobiographical story of former ShKID students, Grigory Belykh and Leonid Panteleev. The authors recount the real-life experiences of organizing socially useful activities with at-risk children. The head of the school, V.N. SorokaRosinsky, was a talented and original teacher who championed respect for all ages and individuality, and his teaching methods were based on a deep understanding of child psychology (Belykh & Panteleev, 2012/1927). The ShKID utilized the following forms of schoolchildren’s socially useful activities: - Labor landing parties: working on fruit and vegetable farms, organizing clean-up events, cleaning rooms, and serving as class monitors; - Participation in household management: handing over the kitchen, pantry and cloakroom to the children for self-management. For each of these parts of the household, a headman was elected, who was assisted by those on duty for each day; - Creative education: forming children’s creative unions (physical training, drawing, singing, dancing, etc.). According to the reports of 1924, at the Dostoevsky School, the children edited and published over fifty different handwritten magazines and pamphlets; - Social activity: giving each student the right to publish their own newspaper or magazine, as well as the right to engage in debate. The school had its own wall newspaper, which anyone could contribute to and raise any social issue affecting the school; - Self-government: establishing a council of monitors, where they, together with the teachers, discussed school events and future development plans; - Individual approach: identifying each child’s talents and providing opportunities to showcase them; - “Free education”: in class, enabling the children to develop a desire for independence, freedom, creativity, which over time would instill self-discipline in them; and - Workshops: in the evening after classes, involving the children in socially useful work. One can observe a clear difference in the behavior of the ShKID students at the beginning and at the end. A striking example is Mamochka (Kostya Fedotov), one of the students and the hero of the story The Republic of ShKID (Belykh & Panteleev, 2012/1927) , whose prototype was a real boy who studied at this school. Initially, Mamochka is shown as a typical street kid with thieving tendencies. However, at school, his gradual re-education begins. One of Mamochka’s most notable positive deeds is his participation in the creation and development of the school newspaper. In The Republic of ShKID, the newspaper becomes an important tool for correcting and preventing schoolchildren’s deviations by means of: - Shifting from destruction to creation: previously, Mamochka spent his energy on pranks and theft; his participation in the newspaper means that he channels his abilities (wit, sociability, artistry) in a creative endeavors; - Contributing to the common cause: the newspaper is a collective project that unites the children; by helping with it, Mamochka learns to think not only about himself but also about the team; - Developing talents: working on a newspaper gives Mamochka the opportunity to express himself: through writing, drawing, and editing; this helps him and his mates gain confidence and see the value of creativity; and - Supporting school rules: creating the newspaper is part of the educational system established the head of the school; by joining this endeavor, Mamochka indirectly supports a new, more civilized way of life at ShKID. In the epilogue to The Republic of ShKID, the authors mention some former ShKID students: they reformed, many of them entered educational institutions and acquired professions (becoming Red Army commanders, agronomists, journalists, and film directors) (Belykh & Panteleev, 2012/1927). In 1927, a children’s labor commune for neglected children and juvenile delinquents was founded in the village of Novy Kharkov. It was named after Felix E. Dzerzhinsky and included a school factory. It later became famous thanks to the film Flags on the Towers (1958), based on the novella of the same name by Anton S. Makarenko (Makarenko, 1983/1939). The story recounts the real experience of merging education with productive labor, moral, physical and aesthetic education. The director sets a goal for the students: to build a factory completely by themselves; later, they themselves would work on it. While the students are engaged in construction, they correct their deviant behavior through being involved in socially useful activities (Makarenko, 1983/1939). Road to Life is a 1931 film based on The Pedagogical Poem (Makarenko, 2016/1935). The film tells the true story of a groundbreaking experiment: the reeducation of children mutilated by the street through collective useful work in the Bolshevo labor commune. The commune was not a school in the traditional sense, but rather an institution that combined elements of an educational, educational and labor-based elements, aimed at re-educating street children and juvenile delinquents. In the commune, the boys worked as carpenters, shoemakers, and joiners, remaining free citizens and supporting themselves-not by stealing, but by working. The film reflects the process of re-educating adolescents through socially useful activities (Makarenko, 2016/1935). The pedagogical experience of schools with socio-individual education and children’s communes discussed above laid the foundations for modern approaches to correcting and preventing deviant behavior in schoolchildren through socially useful activities. These institutions demonstrated the importance of combining work education, teamwork, and an individual approach, which subsequently evolved into comprehensive socialization and prevention programs. Involvement in socially useful activities serves as a preventative measure against deviance among adolescents, ensuring the development of a positive attitude in schoolchildren toward any socially necessary work, the need for this work, as well as the ability and willingness to perform it. Deviance prevention can and should be implemented with adolescents by engaging them in socially useful work. One of the promising areas in this regard is the importance of volunteering. As part of preventing deviance in schoolchildren, socially useful activities can take a variety of forms, from traditional forms of assistance to those in need to the collective efforts of hundreds or thousands of people. Based on our analysis of current experience in using socially useful activities to prevent of schoolchildren’s deviations, we identify the following three sequential stages: The first stage involves the active participation of the family, educational, public, social protection, medical, and law enforcement services and organizations aimed at preventing the development of attitudes toward and/or motives for deviant behavior in children and adolescents. The goal of the first stage is also to identify and eliminate the causes and conditions for the development of deviance. At this stage, social preventive work involves all adolescents. It is necessary to improve the environment and provide assistance to schoolchildren who find themselves in unfavorable living and upbringing conditions even before the negative effects of these conditions affect their behavior. The second stage involves the early identification of schoolchildren who have begun to exhibit deviant behavior, including the assistance to at-risk groups to prevent the aggravation of their addictions. The primary goal of the second stage is to prevent a repeat, more serious offence. This stage includes a system of actions aimed at changing previously established maladaptive behavior patterns and developing personal resources and strategies. At this stage, social prevention efforts include children and adolescents with a history of deviant behavior (e.g., alcohol and drug use, etc.), as well as groups with a high risk of engaging in deviant behavior. One of the preventive technologies at this stage is the use of diagnostic testing conducted in schools (for 13-year-olds-with parental consent, for 15-year-olds and older-with the child’s consent), including as part of regular medical examinations. Secondary prevention is most appropriately conducted in educational, public, medical, law enforcement, and social welfare institutions. In this case, targeted and coordinated (and most often collaborative) work of qualified specialists is necessary in order to activate the volitional resources of children and adolescents and prevent the aggravation of the problem. The third stage involves the prevention of further personality breakdown and the assistance to children and adolescents exhibiting pronounced forms of deviance, as well as the elimination of negative personal, social and medical consequences of deviant behavior using a set of measures aimed at preventing recurrent behavioral deviations. The goal of this stage is to prevent relapses in individuals with established deviant behavior. This stage involves working with minors serving sentences in penal colonies, as well as after their release, to prevent recurrence of crimes. Tertiary prevention is most appropriately implemented in juvenile correctional facilities, medical institutions, and social welfare institutions, and this requires the collaboration of qualified specialists-doctors, psychologists, social workers, and special education teachers-to prevent the aggravation of the existing problem. At the third stage, specialists deal with children and adolescents who already have a difficult-totreat disease, the success of which depends on the patient’s desire to “see” their problem and overcome their illness. This stage includes a system of social, psychological and medical actions intended for children and adolescents exhibiting various forms of deviations, in order to facilitate the restoration of their health, personal and social status, as well as their return to their families, educational institutions, and socially useful activities. Let us consider the measures and actions necessary to prevent adolescent deviance through socially useful activities: providing information, organizing alternative activities, promoting a healthy lifestyle, optimizing work activities, arranging useful leisure activities, teaching socially important skills, and activating personal resources. We emphasize providing information as the primary stage of preventing deviance among children and adolescents through socially useful activities. Schoolchildren often commit deviations because they do not know that it is punishable, or they hope that they will not be punished. Therefore, it is important to inform the younger generation that all their actions have consequences. An important goal of information is to influence the individual’s cognitive processes in order to enhance their ability to make constructive decisions. Fostering a positive attitude toward socially useful activities is an important approach to preventing first-time deviance and relapse in deviant children and adolescents. In our opinion, the forms of informing schoolchildren in order to prevent deviations and instill socially useful activities should include: invitations to projects, promotions, contests; lectures, seminars, class hours; conversations, discussions (debates, round tables); distribution of special literature and booklets; social and educational events; design of information boards; and personal examples of adults. Providing information may include classroom hours in schools (viewing thematic films, holding seminars, discussions, and trainings), where adolescents can be introduced to the concept of ‘socially useful activity’, its characteristics and directions, as well as the types and consequences of deviant behavior. Public figures, volunteers, social workers, narcologists, psychologists, and law enforcement officers are involved in providing information. Such events motivate children to engage in socially significant activities. The design of the information board is also important: it can be used to display campaign leaflets, booklets, posters, work plans, photographs, etc. on it, e.g., to post information about creative and cultural events. These help involve children and adolescents in socially significant activities. It is important that information be timely. Organizing alternative activities is crucial for preventing deviance in schoolchildren, as these activities are linked to the concept of the vicarious effect of deviant behavior. We believe it necessary to note that alternative activities should be socially useful, specifically fostering a sense of social responsibility and arousing an interest in socially significant activities that are promising for personal development. Popular types of alternative activities for preventing deviance and instilling skills in socially useful activities in children and adolescents include: attending clubs; volunteering; participating in social projects; traveling and hiking; engaging in creative work; visiting museums, libraries, and theaters; playing sports, participating in charity events, public organizations or youth movements. Alternative activities are particularly effective during childhood and adolescence, when other pedagogical approaches fail to produce the desired effect. These activities not only help fill free time but also promote cultural values, challenge stereotypes, enhance self-esteem, and enrich one’s inner world. For example, attending clubs can be a socially useful activity, as club work is a form of extracurricular activities that serve as a means of professional orientation for students and develops their skills in independent and research work. It is important that the results of students’ club activities be socially useful and reflected in the organization of school evenings, competitions and Olympiads, debates, school exhibitions and other events. Volunteering also helps the younger generation realize their aspirations for leadership and, for a time, acquire the rights and responsibilities of an adult: independently planning activities and taking responsibility for their own results. Based on our analysis, we identified modern formats of socially useful activities for schoolchildren, such as: - Humanitarian aid collection. This includes various initiatives aimed at supporting those in need, including participants in the Special Warfare (SW) as well as fostering civic responsibility and patriotism. Schoolchildren can collect storable foods, medicines, warm clothes and other essential items. - Social entrepreneurship. This takes the form of educational programs and competitions that help develop social responsibility. Schoolchildren develop projects that can solve social problems. For example, as part of the Entrepreneurship Olympiad, participants create technological solutions to assist in medicine, agriculture, ecology and other fields. Winners of such competitions can receive additional points for university admissions and support for their developments. - Scientific and technical creativity. This includes a variety of educational programs (robotics, programming, technical modeling, construction, etc.), events, infrastructure solutions and project activities. These formats are aimed at developing intellectual, creative, and professional skills, as well as fostering schoolchildren’s interest in scientific and technical professions. - Reverse mentoring. This involves the exchange of experience and knowledge among different generations. In the context of socially useful activities of schoolchildren and elderly people, this format may include interactions aimed at increasing social activity and strengthening intergenerational ties. An example could be creating a social space for the older generation to acquire new social and life skills through the assistance of schoolchildren (e.g., in the field of computer and financial literacy); and - Work in stray animal shelters. This includes various projects and activities aimed at helping animals, raising awareness of the problem of stray animals and developing social skills, etc. We believe that the effectiveness of preventing deviant behavior among schoolchildren depends on a comprehensive approach at various levels of public life; the entire environment of children and adolescents should be involved in the process. The foundations of socially useful activity should be instilled within the family, which will also serve as a means of preventing deviance. Socially useful activities of school-age children and adolescents within the family, as a means of preventing deviance, include: participating in household chores (cleaning the house, washing dishes, etc.); engaging in agricultural work in the garden or cottage; assisting parents, grandmothers, and other relatives; caring for younger ones (siblings); caring for pets; participating in the organization of family holidays, etc. Socially useful work of children and adolescents within the family may include various tasks, depending on their age and abilities. It is in the family, through work and communication, that the individual’s first moral principles are nurtured, as well as goals and ideals, interests and needs that are useful to society are formed. As adolescents grow and gain work experience, they are given more complex assignments and responsibilities, such as participating in family budget discussions. Children learn to balance the family’s resources with their needs and feel that they have a voice in solving family financial problems. It must be emphasized that the school plays a vital role in instilling socially useful skills and implementing deviance prevention measures. Socially useful activities of children and adolescents at school as a means of preventing deviance involve organizing work aimed fostering positive individual needs and interests. These activities for children and adolescents at school include: serving as class monitors; participating in labor landing parties and clean-up days; collecting waste paper, participating in charity events, working in the school library, assisting in the school museum; mentoring younger schoolmates; visiting clubs and sections; participating in school-wide events and competitions, as well as in self-government. Certain types of socially useful activities for adolescents at school can be used as a means of preventing deviance. For example, this can be classroom duty, as it helps develop responsibility and discipline in students. The advantage of being on duty is not only instilling discipline, but also teaching respect for work. By engaging in socially useful work, children learn to properly manage their time and take a responsible approach to assigned tasks. Labor landing parties and clean-up days can also be part of the prevention of deviant behavior among adolescents. Such activities are aimed at forming a socially adapted personality through work. In the process, children develop work skills, a responsible and creative attitude to work, and create a cohesive team. Organizing such events promotes the development of positive personality traits and the formation of norms of socially useful behavior in society. We believe that parents and family bear primary responsibility for the social prevention of deviance in the younger generation. The success of avoiding many adolescent deviant behaviors depends on the family environment and the ability of parents and relatives to recognize changes in their child’s behavior. The family’s pedagogical competence and the parents’ personal example are also important, as children primarily learn their behavioral attitudes from their family: this can include both imitation and protest. Educational institutions are also influential. School is the second most important social institution where adolescents spend a significant amount of time, and their knowledge and attitudes depend on the skills of their teachers. Youth institutions and commissions for juvenile affairs are third in importance in social prevention and instilling skills in socially useful activities. These institutions are responsible for the social and legal assessment of adolescent deviance and the preventive measures taken (after all, it is important not only to punish, but also to conduct work). The media is also a dominant actor in social prevention. Due to the busy parents and overloaded school schedules, many adolescents spend a significant amount of time on the Internet, where, unfortunately, the topic of deviance is not always presented in a negative context. More preventative measures are needed, particularly, in the media whereas illicit sources, such as those with a hidden drug culture context, should be punished. Healthcare institutions, responsible for implementing preventative measures to protect adolescent health, rank third. Law enforcement agencies and social welfare agencies share fourth place. An example of promising conditions for socially useful activities of schoolchildren can be the development of the all-Russian public-governmental movement of children and youth, Movement of the First, created in July 2022 through the reorganization of the Russian Schoolchildren’s Movement. On its official website, the organization positions itself as “a special space for dialogue between children, parents, teachers, and mentors. Here, everyone has the opportunity to realize their ideas and dreams. The Movement’s events unlock the potential of each participant, helping them become the best version of themselves every day”[24]. The Movement of the First’s campaigns for developing socially useful activities among adolescents as programs for preventing deviations include various programs and projects aimed at strengthening the children’s collective, fostering friendship and mutual respect, preventing conflicts among children and young people, and creating a comfortable psychological environment. Some of these include: - The “Learn and Explore” Program: involving adolescents in creating and developing educational and preventive projects, such as: “First Aid” (thematic excursions introducing first aid professions, as well as lessons and workshops on first aid); “Visiting a Scientist” (lectures, excursions, workshops, open days at research centers, higher educational institutions, technological facilities, innovative companies, centers of additional education, museums and more); - The “Do Good” Program: creating volunteer groups that enable children to implement their social initiatives, help others, and do a good deed for society; - The “Young Naturalists of the First” Project: developing skills for active care of nature, implementing children’s initiatives to protect the environment, and performing research activities within the thematic community; and - The “Time of the First” Specialized Sessions: actively involving participants in socially significant activities through the implementation of children’s initiatives in the context of short-term stay of the participants in children’s recreation and health institutions. The programs use such forms of work as marathons, master classes, creative venues, workshops, actions, performances, concerts, campaign teams, hikes, tours, sports competitions, festivals, contests, and others. Conclusion The interrelationship between the socio-legal and pedagogical perspectives in studying the Russian experience of preventing schoolchildren’s deviations is evident in a comprehensive approach to solving the problem. Both complement each other, forming a system of measures aimed at preventing deviant behavior and promoting the social adaptation of school-age children and adolescents. However, it is important to note that: 1. The socio-legal and pedagogical perspectives do not exist in isolation: they form a unified system for preventing schoolchildren’s deviations. Legal norms set the framework and goals, and pedagogical methods provide the tools for achieving these goals. 2. Effective prevention is only possible with a comprehensive approach that takes into account both legislative requirements and the educational, educational and psychological aspects of working with schoolchildren. 3. A key role in implementing this approach belongs to teachers and specialists at educational institutions, who act as the link between legal mechanisms and direct work with students. 4. Further improvement of coordination between various prevention actors (government agencies, educational institutions, and families) is necessary, as is the development and implementation of innovative educational programs based on current legal norms. Socially useful activities are essential for preventing deviance in children and adolescents, as they involve active participation through which young people learn to better understand their needs and analyze social laws. The primary causes of deviant behavior are the child’s environment, as well as parental behavior patterns and family relationships. When preventing the deviant behavior in schoolchildren, it is crucial to prioritize the comprehensive development of the individual and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle. The primary measures contributing to the prevention of deviant behavior include involving children in social activities at school and working with the family. Preventive work to address deviant behavior includes individual and group social and preventative measures, and the effective organization of leisure activities for the younger generation. It should be noted that through socially useful activities, children adopt positive behavior patterns, which is essential for preventing deviant behavior. Students’ unpaid labor as a form of activity and the organization of achieving socially significant goals that contribute to the formation of an active civic position in the younger generation is the subject of modern legislation. Furthermore, in social practice, activities through which young people learn to better understand their needs, analyze social laws, develop a program for their behavior, and discern its causes and consequences are recognized as being socially useful. Thus, the interrelation between the socio-legal and pedagogical perspectives provides a systematic approach to preventing deviance, aimed at the formation of law-abiding and socially responsible behavior in schoolchildren.

About the authors

Vladimir V. Nasonkin

RUDN University

Email: nasonkin@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-9544-8531
SPIN-code: 4315-0515

Ph.D. in Legal Studies, Dr. Sc. in Political Science, Full Professor, Professor at the Department of Comparative Educational Policy

6 Miklukho-Maklaya St, Moscow, 117198, Russian Federation

Elena N. Kasarkina

National Research Mordovia State University

Author for correspondence.
Email: eienovik@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-4213-8211
SPIN-code: 1957-6462
ResearcherId: AСС-4967-2020

Ph.D. in Sociology, Associate Professor, Associate Professor at the Department of Sociology and Social Work

68 Bolshevistskaya St, Saransk, 430005, Russian Federation

Dmitry V. Bondarenko

RUDN University

Email: bondarenko-dmvl@rudn.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-9616-2412
SPIN-code: 8932-0558
Scopus Author ID: 57208397002
ResearcherId: L-6147-2018

Ph.D. in Legal Studies, Honoured Worker of Education of the Russian Federation, Member of the Russian Academy of Legal Sciences, Senior Researcher at the Educational and Scientific Institute of Comparative Educational Policy

6 Miklukho-Maklaya St, Moscow, 117198, Russian Federation

References

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