Social Skills Development for Children: Understanding and Improving Social Competence

SOCIAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT SOCIAL COMPETENCE Social competence is the condition of possessing the social, emotional, and intellectual skills and...

SOCIAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT SOCIAL COMPETENCE Social competence is the condition of possessing the social, emotional, and intellectual skills and behaviors needed to succeed as a member of society. A socially competent preschool child behaves differently from a socially competent adolescent. FACTORS OF A CHILD’S SOCIAL COMPETENCE Social skills Social awareness Self-confidence FACTORS OF A CHILD’S SOCIAL COMPETENCE Social skills describes the child's knowledge of and ability to use a variety of Social awareness social behaviors appropriate to Self-confidence a given interpersonal situation and pleasing others in each situation. FACTORS OF A CHILD’S SOCIAL COMPETENCE Social skills refers to the child's ability to understand the emotions of Social awareness others, perceive subtle social Self-confidence cues, "read" complex social situations, and demonstrate insight about others' motivations and goals. FACTORS OF A CHILD’S SOCIAL COMPETENCE Social skills Social competence can also be affected by the social context Social awareness and the extent to which there is Self-confidence a good match between the child's skills, interests, and abilities and those of peers. IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL COMPENTENCE Parents are the primary source of social and emotional support for children during the first years of life. Still, in later years peers begin to play a significant role in a child's social-emotional development. Increasingly with age, peers rather than parents become preferred companions, providing important sources of entertainment and support. IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL COMPENTENCE When children experience serious difficulties in peer relations, the development of social competencies may be threatened. Rejection or victimization by peers may become a source of significant stress to children, contributing to feelings of loneliness and low self-esteem. The social competence deficits of rejected children may increase over time, along with feelings of social anxiety and inadequacy. SOCIAL COMPENTENCE DEFICITS AND PEER REJECTION Many children experience difficulties getting along with peers at some point during their youth. Sometimes these problems are short-lived and for some children the effects of being left out or teased by classmates are transitory. For other children, however, being ignored or rejected by peers may be a lasting problem that has lifelong consequences, such as a dislike for school, poor self-esteem, social withdrawal, and difficulties with adult relationships. SOCIAL COMPENTENCE DEFICITS AND PEER REJECTION  Considerable research has been undertaken to try to understand why some children experience serious and long- lasting difficulties in the area of peer relations. To explore factors leading to peer difficulties, researchers typically employ the sociometric method to identify children who are or are not successful with peers.  Evidence compiled from studies using child interviews, direct observations, and teacher ratings all suggest that popular children exhibit high levels of social competence. SOCIAL COMPENTENCE DEFICITS AND PEER REJECTION  Children who have problems making friends, those who are either "neglected" or "rejected" by their peers, often show deficits in social skills.  Children are particularly likely to become rejected if they show a wide range of conduct problems, including disruptive, hyperactive, and disagreeable behaviors in addition to physical aggression.  Children can also have friendship problems because they are very shy and feel uncomfortable and unsure of themselves around others. SOCIAL COMPENTENCE DEFICITS AND PEER REJECTION Deficits in social competence and peer rejection coincide with other emotional and behavioral problems, including attention deficits, aggression, and depression. Childhood peer rejection predicts a variety of difficulties in later life, including school problems, mental health disorders, and antisocial behavior. When assessing the possible factors contributing to a child's social difficulties and when planning remedial interventions, it is important to understand developmental processes associated with social competence and peer relations.  Developmental Changes and Social Competence Prosocial skills (friendly, cooperative, helpful behaviors) and self-control skills (anger management, negotiation skills, problem-solving skills) are key facets of social competence. Developmental Changes and Social Competence During the preschool years, social competence involves the ability to separate PRESCHOOL from parents and engage with peers in shared play activities, particularly fantasy play. As preschool children are just learning to coordinate their social behavior, their interactions are often short and marked by frequent squabbles, and friendships are less stable than at later developmental stages. In addition, physical rough-and-tumble play is common, particularly among boys.  Developmental Changes and Social Competence SCHOOL AGE By grade school, children begin to develop an interest in sports , structured board games, and group games with complex sets of rules. During the middle to late grade school years, children begin to distinguish "regular" friends from "best" friends. Many of the positive characteristics that promote popularity (such as cooperativeness, friendliness, and consideration for others) also assist children in developing and maintaining friendships.  Developmental Changes and Social Competence Common Problems Many children who are rejected by peers have lower self-esteem, feel lonelier, and are more dissatisfied with their social situations than are average or popular children.  Developmental Changes and Social Competence Assessing Social Competence 1. The nature of the child's social behavior is important. If children behave aggressively with peers, act bossy and domineering, or are disruptive and impulsive at school, they are more likely to have long- lasting peer difficulties than are children who are simply shy. 2. Children who are actively disliked, teased, or ostracized by peers are at more risk than children who are simply ignored. 3. The stability and timing of peer problems should be considered.  Developmental Changes and Social Competence Assessing Social Competence When choosing a particular assessment strategy, it is important to consider the nature of a particular child's problem. When problems occur in the school setting, teachers and other school personnel who have opportunities to see children interacting in several peer group situations (such as the classroom, playground, and lunchroom) are often the best first step in assessment.  Developmental Changes and Social Competence Assessing Social Competence Teacher assessments can include behavioral checklists and rating scales and direct observations of specific social behaviors. Parents can provide information about children's social competence. It is most helpful to get information directly from peers themselves. Assessment of social competence involves children's self- reports-questionnaires and rating scales  Interventions to Promote Social Competence SOCIAL SKILL TRAINING Purpose of social skill training is to help unpopular children learn to treat their peers in positive ways. Commonly taught skills include helping, sharing, and cooperation. Children are taught how to enter a group, how to be a good group participant, how to be a fair player (e.g., following rules, taking turns), and how to have a conversation with peers. The skills might also include anger management, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills. Problem-solving skills (e.g., identifying the problem, considering alternative solutions, choosing a solution, and making a plan)  Interventions to Promote Social Competence SOCIAL SKILL TRAINING Sometimes social skill training is done individually with children, but often it is done in a small group. A particular skill concept is discussed, and children may watch a short film or hear a story that illustrates the usefulness of the skill. They then have the opportunity to practice the skill during activities or role-plays with other children in the group. A trained group leader helps guide the children in their use of the skill and provides support and positive feedback to help children become more natural and spontaneous in socially skillful behavior.  Interventions to Promote Social Competence  Another intervention strategy focuses on helping children who are having trouble getting along with others because of angry, aggressive, or bossy behavior. Contracts and point systems are used to suppress aggressive behavior and bossiness. Trained counselors, educators, or psychologists work with parents to help them find positive discipline strategies and positive communication skills to promote child anger management and conflict resolution skills.  Interventions to Promote Social Competence  Focus on finding a good social "niche" for the child.  a teacher can organize cooperative learning groups that help an isolated child make friends in the classroom.  parents can help by inviting potential friends over to play or by getting their child involved in a social activity outside of school that is rewarding (such as a church group, a sports group, or a scouting club)  Learning Activity 1 Make an interpretation of the following facial expressions and gestures.  Friends are vital to school- CHILDREN FRIENDSHIP age children’s healthy development. Research has found that children who lack friends can suffer from emotional and mental difficulties later in life. Friendships provide children with more than just fun playmates. What Parents can Do to Help Child make Friends? Parents help their child to develop a loving, accepting, and respectful relationship with them. Parents also teach their child various social skills by being a good role model. What Parents can Do to Help Child make Friends? Provide their child with opportunities to spend time with other children. Help their child learn games and sports. Set clear rules for appropriate behavior. Teach their child how to handle different social situations. What Parents can Do to Help Child make Friends? Talk with their child. Help your child learn to see others’ points of view. Help your child learn to manage negative feelings and solve problems. LEARNING ACTIVITY 2 PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR Prosocial behaviors are those intended to help other people. These actions are characterized by a concern for the rights, feelings, and welfare of other people. PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR BENEFITS  Mood boosting effect  Social support benefit  Stress-reducing effect PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR TYPES  PROACTIVE These are prosocial actions that serve self-benefitting purposes.  REACTIVE These are actions that are performed in response to individual needs. PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR TYPES  ALTRUISTIC These include actions that are meant to help others without any expectations of personal gain. PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR Prosocial Behavior vs. Altruism Others argue, however, that reciprocity actually does underlie many examples of altruism or that people engage in such seemingly selfless behaviors for selfish reasons. For example, a person might engage in altruism to gain the acclaim of others or to feel good about themselves. PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR CAUSES 1. Evolutionary influences: principles of natural selection. While putting your own safety in danger makes it less likely that you will survive to pass on your own genes, kin selection suggests that helping members of your own genetic family makes it more likely that your kin will survive and pass on genes to future generations. PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR CAUSES 2. Personal benefits: Prosocial behaviors are often seen as being compelled by a number of factors including egoistic reasons reciprocal benefits and more altruistic reasons. PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR CAUSES 3. Reciprocal behavior: The norm of reciprocity suggests that when people do something helpful for someone else, that person feels compelled to help out in return. PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR CAUSES 4. Socialization: In many cases, such behaviors are fostered during childhood and adolescence as adults encourage children to share, act kindly, and help others.