Faculty of Legal Psychology: MSUPE Project – Laureate of the National Competition "Golden Psyche" 2026

On May 31, 2026, the awarding ceremony for laureates and winners of the XXVII National Competition "Golden Psyche" (Zolotaya Psikheya) was held in St. Petersburg. A project of the Faculty of Legal Psychology at MSUPE received laureate status and high professional recognition.

In 2023, a team of experts from MSUPE and the V.P. Serbsky National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Narcology became the winner of the competition in the nomination "Psychological Tool of the Year" with the project "Navigator for the Prevention of Deviant Behavior." The developed methodological materials and guidelines for education specialists on identifying and preventing various types of deviant behavior have become widely used in educational organizations.

In 2026, a new project was submitted to the competition – a logical complement to the previous one – "Navigator for the Prevention of Social Risks to Childhood in the Digital Environment," which became a laureate of the National Competition "Golden Psyche." The project was developed in 2025 by order of the Government Commission on Minors' Affairs and Protection of Their Rights and serves as a logical continuation of the previous development, adapted to modern realities and addressing the most pressing challenges related to threats and risks of the digital environment.

Both projects are united by a common methodology and aim to create a comprehensive system for preventing deviant behavior in minors:

• 2022 – The basic navigator for deviant behavior prevention in offline environments was presented: classification of types of deviant behavior; algorithms for identification and diagnosis; methodological recommendations for education specialists; legal foundations of preventive work.
• 2026 – A specialized navigator for preventing social risks in the digital environment: 17 guidelines for specialists, educators, parents, and children; mechanisms for the formation of dangerous behavior online; prevention of cyberbullying, cyberaggression, cyber-suicidal behavior; recommendations for developing media competencies; features of legal regulation in the digital environment.

Development Team:

• Project Leader: Nikolay Viktorovich Dvoryanchikov, Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Professor, Dean of the Faculty of Legal Psychology, MSUPE.
• Contributors: N.V. Bogdanovich (Candidate of Psychological Sciences), E.G. Dozortseva (Doctor of Psychological Sciences, Professor), V.V. Delibalta (Associate Professor).

The projects were implemented in collaboration with the V.P. Serbsky National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Narcology.

Both navigators underwent interagency approval with the Russian Ministry of Education, Russian Ministry of Health, Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Russian Investigative Committee. The materials have been sent to regional education authorities and are used by: educational psychologists, social educators, homeroom teachers, and specialists from juvenile affairs commissions.

Based on the created navigators, it is planned to: develop professional development programs for specialists; create an online version of the navigator with interactive modules; conduct research on the effectiveness of implementation; adapt materials for various target groups.

Background: 

The National Competition "Golden Psyche" is the main professional award for psychologists in Russia. The competition has been held since 1998 by the "Psychological Newspaper" with the support of the Professional Psychotherapeutic League. The Grand Jury includes 50 authoritative professionals – representatives of science, practical psychology, psychotherapy, education, and culture.

Media contacts: MSUPE Press Service, Anastasia Viktorovna Shpak, shpakav@mgppu.ru