THE IMPACT OF IRRATIONAL BELIEFS ON THE FORMATION OF ROLE VICTIMIZATION IN ADOLESCENTS UNDER WARTIME CONDITIONS

Abstract

This study explores how irrational beliefs established during childhood are related to the manifestations of rolebased victimization in adolescents residing in areas characterized by different degrees of military threat. Irrational beliefs are conceptualized as a stable cognitive–personality construct, while role-based victimization is interpreted as a dynamic psychological phenomenon that may intensify under unfavorable social conditions. Although the structure of irrational beliefs appears to be independent of external safety factors, the level of military threat may influence the severity and expression of victimization-related behaviors. The research aims to examine the nature of the relationship between irrational beliefs and adolescents’ susceptibility to role-based victimization, as well as to determine whether this relationship varies depending on the security conditions of the region of residence. The findings demonstrate a consistent association between specific forms of role-based victimization and irrational belief patterns that contribute to maladaptive coping strategies and dysfunctional interpersonal behavior. In one group, the adoption of a victim position and status is linked to catastrophizing, rigid self- and other-directed demands, low frustration tolerance, and distorted self-evaluation. In the other group, the playful enactment of the victim role is primarily associated with catastrophizing, reduced frustration tolerance, and impaired self-esteem, whereas the social victim role correlates with irrational beliefs reflecting diminished self-worth.