Social skill training with children: Issues in research and practice

Evidence indicating a relationship between problematic peer relations during childhood and interpersonal disorders in later life has spurred the development of interventions for such maladies as social isolation, peer neglect and rejection, and friendlessness. Recent studies suggest that social skill training, a behaviorally-oriented strategy designed to facilitate children's social competence with peers, is one of the most promising and effective methods of treatment. Despite its promise, however, continued progress toward the development and implementation of effective skill-based interventions depends on the resolution of numerous conceptual and methodological issues. Several key issues facing researchers and practitioners are reviewed and discussed in this article including: (1) the purpose of social skill training, (2) the selection of candidates, (3) the content or curriculum of skill-based interventions, and (4) the methods used to teach social skills.