Social and Emotional Competence and At-Risk Children’s Well-Being: The Roles of Personal and Interpersonal Agency for Children with ADHD, Emotional and Behavioral Disorder, Learning Disability, and Developmental Disability

Abstract

Social and emotional competence has attracted significant and increasing theoretical and research attention. Drawing on Bandura’s social-cognitive theory, social and emotional competence is defined in terms of children’s personal agency (competence beliefs, perceived control) and interpersonal agency (peer relationships, teacher–student relationships, parent/carer–child relationships, social support). Personal agency and interpersonal agency are desirable ends in themselves and also an important means to other desirable ends (e.g., academic achievement, health and well-being). A bulk of research has investigated social and emotional competence among “mainstream” populations. Relatively less systemic attention has been directed to “at-risk” children. This chapter explores the role and relevance of personal and interpersonal agency in at-risk children’s academic, personal, and social well-being. For each of four at-risk groups—children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), emotional and behavioral disorder, learning disability, and developmental disability—the chapter identifies personal and interpersonal agency factors that are critical to well-being. The theory and research described in the chapter clearly show that social and emotional competence, by way of personal and interpersonal agency, plays a fundamental role in at-risk children’s well-being outcomes. Following from this, directions for practice are discussed.