A psychosocial approach to adolescent deviant behaviour: The relation between social identification functions and social segregation

The role of different functions of social identification and the role of the perception of social integration-segregation are examined in a study on the development of deviant behaviour in adolescents’ informal peer groups. The analysis revealed the existence of seven fuctions of social identification: ingroup identification, self-insight, intergroup competition and comparison, intragroup comparison, romantic involvement, leadership and cooperation. The groups highlighted different functions: members of deviant groups emphasised intergroup competition and comparison, non deviant group members stressed self-insight. Furthermore, deviance results to be related to the perception of social segregation in the social contexts: deviant group members perceive negative relations between themselves, their group and the adults of their environment (parents, teachers and police).Functions of social identification are differently related with the perception of social segregation-integration: ingroup identification is correltated with a perception of social integration, intergroup competition and comparison is correlated with a perception of social segregation.