Social Skills Training With Youth in School Settings: A Review

Abstract

This article is a critical review and synthesis of the current state of practice research involving social skills training (SST) with adolescents and preadolescents within educational settings. The article begins with a brief description of challenges and behaviors facing adolescents in the 1990s. This is followed by an overview of terminology, problems, and methods related to SST. Intervention research conducted within educational settings over the past 12 years (N = 25 studies) is reviewed in terms of sampling, conceptual adequacy, research method, and interpretation. Key findings are highlighted and include the presence of positive or mixed results for SST participators in 23 of the 25 studies, whereas 2 studies indicated no change for the SST groups. The article concludes with recommendations for future research and a discussion of applications to social work practice.