Enhancing Social-Emotional Competence Through Life Skills Training Among Adolescents With Conduct-Related Difficulties: A School-Based Intervention Study

Abstract

Adolescence, the transitional stage from childhood to adulthood, is characterized by significant biological, psychological, and social changes in their life. The period is critical for developing key social skills if these skills remain underdeveloped, adolescents are vulnerable to behavioral problems. Conduct problems is a term used to describe a wide range of age-inappropriate actions and attitudes of a child that violate family expectations, societal norms. Life skills are abilities which support students’ overall development and reinforce their ability to encounter problems in life. Life skills training is an intervention that can provide the skills necessary for successful living.  Imparting life skills is the basic attempt that has to initiate for strengthening the behaviour of adolescents. The present study examined (a) the relationship between conduct problems and social-emotional skills and (b) the effectiveness of a Life Skills Training (LST) intervention in enhancing social-emotional skills among adolescents with elevated conduct problems. The sample comprised 400 adolescents (200 boys and 200 girls), aged 12–18 years, selected from private schools in Haryana, India. Data was collected using self-report questionnaires including Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and Social Skills Inventory. Following screening, 100 adolescents with moderate or high conduct-problem scores and low or moderate social-emotional skills were included in the intervention phase and divided randomly into experimental (n = 50) and control (n = 50) groups. The experimental group received 11 sessions of LST programme, with each session lasting 2 hours, based on the World Health Organization’s ten core life skills, whereas the control group received general career and personal-management discussions. The findings revealed that the correlation coefficient of conduct problems with social-emotional skills (r = −.329, p < .01) was found to be inversely related. A mixed-design ANOVA showed significant main effects of group and test scores and a significant Group × Test scores interaction, indicating a significant improvement in social-emotional skills in the experimental group. The findings support the use of structured life-skills intervention as a school-based approach for strengthening social-emotional competencies among adolescents experiencing conduct-related difficulties. Implications for inclusive and supportive educational practices are discussed.