Children with positive social skills are more likely to have high self-esteem, have positive relationships with peers, and achieve in school.  On the other hand, children who engage in acting-out or externalizing behaviors are more likely to be rejected and bullied by peers and experience academic difficulties.  Two new Child Trends fact sheets review rigorously evaluated programs to identify what works to promote positive social skills and prevent externalizing behavior. 

This fact sheet reviews 38 rigorously evaluated programs to identify what works to promote social skills among children and adolescents (such as getting along with others, expressing empathy to others, trying to resolve conflicts, and regulating emotions and behaviors).  Overall, most of the programs (27 out of 38) significantly increased at least one social skill in children and adolescents.  Programs that incorporated peer-teaching, group discussion, or role modeling, as well as teacher-led instruction were effective. The fact sheet includes a chart summarizing the programs and whether they were found to work, not proven to work, or had mixed findings.