Behavioral Deviations among Students in Iran: A Causal Layered Analysis of the Role of Family and School in the Age of Cyberspace
Subject Areas : Social issues related to the institution of education
1 - Ph.D. in Sociology of Social Issues of Iran, Department of Social Sciences Education, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran.
Keywords: Behavioral deviations, Cyberspace, Causal Layered Analysis, Family, School,
Abstract :
Behavioral Deviations among Students in Iran:
A Causal Layered Analysis of the Role of Family
and School in the Age of Cyberspace
Saeid Gholami*
In the digital era, behavioral deviations among Iranian students Including cyberspace addiction, cyber-aggression, academic decline, and reduced real-life interactions have become a major challenge for families and schools. This study aimed to conduct a layered analysis of the role of family and school in the emergence and mitigation of these deviations, employing the qualitative approach of Causal Layered Analysis (CLA). CLA enables a four-layered examination of the issue namely, the litany, systemic causes, worldview, and myth/metaphor thereby moving beyond superficial analyses to explore its structural, discursive, and mythic roots. This qualitative study was based on semi-structured interviews with 32 participants from Hamedan, Iran. Purposive sampling was employed with an emphasis on role diversity, and theoretical saturation was considered the criterion for sample adequacy. Data was analyzed according to the four layers of CLA. The findings showed that, at the litany layer, public discourse was characterized by anxiety and judgment; at the systemic causes layer, inadequate parental supervision and school inefficiency were prominent; at the worldview layer, a conflict between traditional Iranian-Islamic discourse and individualistic digital discourse emerged; and at the myth/metaphor layer, metaphors such as the “victim of the digital storm,” the “weary guardian” (family), and the “isolated fortress” (school) revealed underlying beliefs. Three future scenarios were identified: continued crisis (dark), minimal adaptation (gray), and positive transformation (desirable), achieved through discursive reconstruction and institutional empowerment. The findings suggest that strengthening the roles of family and school through media literacy education, participatory programs, and national policymaking may contribute to reducing behavioral deviations and promoting constructive use of cyberspace.
Keywords: Behavioral deviations, Cyberspace, Causal Layered Analysis, Family, School
Introduction
In the digital era, the widespread proliferation of communication technologies and cyberspace has brought about fundamental transformations in the behavioral, social, and psychological patterns of the younger generation, particularly students. Behavioral deviations among students in cyberspace include addiction to social networking platforms, cyber-aggression, academic decline, reduced real-life family interactions, exposure to inappropriate content, identity crises, and engagement in high-risk digital behaviors. These phenomena have become one of the primary challenges facing educational and familial systems in developing societies, including Iran. Such deviations not only threaten individuals' mental and physical health but also affect the stability of cultural, social, and value structures, potentially leading to a decline in social capital and an increase in psychological disorders.
With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the forced transition of education to virtual platforms, the use of digital technologies among Iranian students increased substantially. This sudden shift, occurring without adequate cultural and educational infrastructure, was accompanied by various physical problems (e.g., visual and musculoskeletal disorders), psychological issues (including anxiety, depression, and stress), and behavioral difficulties (such as aggression and social withdrawal). Previous studies have indicated that cyberspace addiction is positively associated with psychological factors such as internalizing problems, loneliness, social anxiety, and problematic Internet use, and may serve as a strong predictor of cyber-deviant behaviors. Furthermore, problematic social media use among Iranian adolescents has been linked to lower perceived social support, lower self-esteem, and sensation-seeking tendencies.
At the global level, research has increasingly examined the transformation of peer relationships within social media environments, suggesting that the transformative characteristics of cyberspace can reshape adolescents' social experiences and potentially contribute to cyber-deviant behaviors. In Iran, previous studies have emphasized the role of key institutions, particularly the family and school. Inadequate parental supervision, diminished school functioning during periods of virtual education, exposure to inappropriate online content, and impaired family functioning have been identified as important structural factors. Parenting styles, family functioning, and parental media literacy have also been identified as significant predictors of Internet addiction. Prior research has predominantly concentrated on the surface layers of the problems such as prevalence statistics of addiction, aggression, or academic decline and has employed one-dimensional approaches. These studies lack an in-depth exploration of structural, discursive, and mythic causes. The distinctive feature of the present study lies in its application of Causal Layered Analysis (CLA), which enables a multidimensional and transformative examination of the issue, moving beyond observable symptoms to uncover deeper social, cultural, and mythic roots. The main objective of this study was to conduct a layered analysis of the role of family and school in behavioral deviations among Iranian students in the cyberspace era, with particular emphasis on identifying underlying causal layers, developing future scenarios, and proposing fundamental policy solutions. The research questions were as follows: (1) What are the common behavioral deviations among Iranian students in cyberspace, and what are the associated statistical and phenomenological patterns? (2) What is the role of family and school structures in the emergence and exacerbation of these deviations? (3) What tensions exist between traditional Iranian-Islamic discourses and modern digital discourses? (4) What beliefs, metaphors, and myths predominantly influence the behavior of students, families, and schools? (5) What possible future scenarios can be envisioned, and how can strengthening the roles of family and school lead to a desirable scenario?
Domestic studies have largely focused on the prevalence of cyberspace addiction and its effects on student behavior and academic performance. Salehi Manzari (2022) demonstrated that cyberspace addiction is positively associated with academic decline, aggression, and mental health problems. Sheikhi (2023) identified reduced family communication, academic decline, and aggression as primary concerns. Jaberi et al. (2023) highlighted the societal risks of cyberspace addiction. Ebadi et al. (2021) confirmed the role of academic alienation and psychological distress in predicting addiction. Ahmadnejad-Kangi and Hamidani (2019) identified anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders as major consequences of cyberspace-related harms. Akbari et al. (2023), using latent profile analysis, linked high-risk groups to sensation-seeking, social anxiety, and loneliness. At the international level, Lozano et al. (2021) identified predictors of cyber-deviant behaviors. Nesi et al. (2018) examined the transformation of peer relationships within social media contexts. Boer et al. (2020) associated problematic social media use with lower well-being. Ordis (2016) identified parental monitoring and school bonding as protective factors. Lee (2018) found low self-control and association with deviant peers to be the most significant predictors. These studies indicate that weak family supervision, reduced school functioning, and individual factors are primary predictors; however, they have paid less attention to deeper layers of analysis. Bandura's Social Learning Theory (1977) explains that behaviors are learned through observation, imitation, and reinforcement. In cyberspace, immediate digital reinforcements accelerate the learning cycle of deviant behaviors. Hirschi's Social Control Theory (1969) emphasizes that deviations occur when social bonds with family and school are weakened. Nesi et al.'s (2018) Peer Relationship Transformation Model and Steinberg's (2010) Dual-System Model of brain development elucidate neurobiological mechanisms. Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory (2005) conceptualizes behavior as resulting from multi-level interactions. The Causal Layered Analysis (CLA) approach, introduced by Inayatullah, fills this gap by viewing reality as layered and enabling the construction of alternative futures.
Methodology
This qualitative investigation utilized Causal Layered Analysis (CLA) as its overarching methodological heuristic. Participants comprised 32 individuals recruited from Hamadan, Iran, including 10 parents, 8 teachers, 7 school counselors, and 7 students. Purposive sampling was employed to maximize diversity across roles and experiential backgrounds, with theoretical saturation serving as the criterion for sample sufficiency. Semi-structured interviews constituted the primary data-gathering instrument, eliciting participants’ perceptions regarding students’ cyberspace-related behavioral deviations, the contributory roles of family and school, underlying structural determinants, competing cultural discourses, and prevailing metaphors and beliefs surrounding digital conduct. Data analysis proceeded in accordance with CLA’s four-tiered framework: (1) the litany layer, capturing participants’ descriptions of overt problems and dominant public narratives; (2) the systemic layer, identifying institutional, familial, and educational mechanisms that underlie the phenomena; (3) the worldview layer, analyzing cultural presuppositions and competing discursive frameworks concerning adolescence, technology, family, school, and individual agency; and (4) the myth/metaphor layer, discerning and interpreting deep-seated narratives and symbolic representations used to characterize students, families, schools, and cyberspace. To ensure credibility, source triangulation and member checking were implemented. For dependability, two independent researchers performed parallel coding, and inter-coder agreement, assessed via Cohen’s kappa, exceeded 0.85. An audit trail was systematically maintained throughout the research process to enhance transparency and analytical traceability.
Results
At the litany layer, public discourse was characterized by anxiety and judgment, with deviations attributed to technology. At the systemic causes layer, inadequate parental supervision, lack of media literacy, and school inefficiency were prominent. At the worldview layer, a tension emerged between traditional collectivist discourse and individualistic digital discourse. At the myth/metaphor layer, three dominant metaphors were identified: the student as a "victim of the digital storm" or "seeker of forbidden freedom," the family as a "weary guardian," and the school as an "isolated fortress." Three future scenarios were delineated: continued crisis (dark), minimal adaptation (gray), and positive transformation (desirable), achieved through discursive reconstruction and institutional empowerment.
Discussion and Conclusion
The findings indicate that behavioral deviations constitute a multi-layered phenomenon, with family and school playing key but currently inadequate roles. Recommendations include conducting media literacy training workshops for parents and counselors, revising the curriculum to integrate media literacy, utilizing national media to promote a positive digital culture, and developing collaborative family-school platforms. These strategies can facilitate movement toward the desirable scenario.
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* Ph.D. in Sociology of Social Issues of Iran, Department of Social Sciences Education, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran.
https://orcid.org/0009-0007-5847-7281
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https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.146778.