Social and Psychological Safety of Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities in Special and Inclusive Schools of Russia

Abstract

Introduction: The number of children with disorders of intellectual development in Russia in recent years have increased significantly around five percent. A significant proportion of adolescents with mental retardation (according to parents) are not satisfied with the safety at school and in its territory. Requirements to ensure the social and psychological safety of adolescents with disabilities in school are increasing. Aim: To compare the levels of sociopsychological safety of younger adolescents with mental (intellectual) disabilities enrolled in special boarding school and junior adolescents with mental (intellectual) disabilities enrolled in special classes in mainstream educational schools. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted from 10 January to 20 February, 2017 in Moscow (Russia) on the basis of a special (correctional) boarding school number 102 and college of services number 10. Total 42 of adolescents from special (correctional) boarding school and 38 adolescents from special class of inclusive schools took part in this study. The sampling criterion was the presence of F70-mild mental retardation in the subjects of diagnosis, age 12-14 years. Psychodiagnostic methods included "The scale of subjective well-being" (Perrudet-Badoux, Mendelssohn and Chiche, author's adaptation) and "Hostility questionnaire Bass- Durk" (A. Bass, E. Durk, author's adaptation). Results: Calculation of U-criterion of Mann-Whitney showed that the level of subjective well-being of younger adolescents with intellectual disabilities studying in special school was found to be significantly higher than in younger adolescents with intellectual disabilities enrolled in special classes in regular school (U=35.5, p≤0.01). Calculation of U-criterion of MannWhitney showed that the level of aggressiveness of younger adolescents with intellectual disabilities studying in special school was significantly lower than in younger adolescents with intellectual disabilities enrolled in special classes in regular school (U=39.5, p≤0.01). Conclusion: The state of social and psychological security in terms of optimal subjective well-being, less hostility and aggressiveness is more effectively achieved by adolescents of special (correctional) boarding school compared with a special class of inclusive school. The obtained results indicate the necessity of development and implementation in educational organisations with inclusive education, a comprehensive psychopedagogical support of social and psychological safety of children with developmental disabilities. It must create conditions to facilitate adaptation to the social environment, the development of safe social interactions, decrease aggression and the formation of social tolerance, through training and education.

Keywords

• aggression
• intellectual disorders
• mental retardation
• special boarding school