Connections between prosociality and antisocial behaviors have been recognized; however, little research has studied their developmental links longitudinally. This is important to illuminate during early adolescence as a sensitive period for social development in which prosociality could protect against the development of later antisocial…

Suicidal behaviour is a major socio-health problem worldwide. However, there are few empirically validated programs for universal prevention of suicidal behaviour in school settings. The aim of the present study was to design and validate the "PositivaMente" program for the prevention of suicidal behaviour in school-age adolescents aged…

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience challenges with social interactions that manifest in specific social situations. These challenges may inhibit them from developing sustained friendships with school-age peers, resulting in their exclusion from group-based leisure activities. To aid this population in developing friendships,…

Social skills training (SST) interventions are evidence-based approaches to building prosocial behavior. When used in schools, SSTs are commonly situated within Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) as Tier 2 interventions. Despite promising gains in social skills and social understanding from SST participation, criticism is noted that gains do…

Introduction: It is believed that children with mild to borderline intellectual functioning are not successful in processing the information received from peers and other people in their surroundings during social interactions, which leads to challenging and aggressive behavior. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of social…

Guilt theoretically functions to motivate reparative behaviors, which, in turn, theoretically alleviate guilt and prevent depression. Although empirical research supports these theories in adults, studies have not investigated causal relations between guilt and reparative behaviors in children. Thus, this study examined whether guilt motivates…

This article describes a quasi-experimental design study comparing a sample of divorcing parents who attended a divorce education program to a sample of divorcing parents who did not attend a divorce education program. The data were analyzed using four child outcomes (emotional symptoms, conduct problems, peer problems, prosocial behaviors), with…

Aggressive, violent, and disruptive behaviour among Belize youth is disproportionately high. The present study evaluated a school-based positive youth development program (Positive Action) using a clustered RCT. The aim of the study sought to examine post-treatment positive youth development competencies (i.e. social-emotional character…

Researchers and anti-bullying organisations have increasingly turned their attention to the role of bystanders in tackling bullying and peer victimisation (e.g. name-calling). The objective of this study was to develop and assess the impact of a role-play programme designed to strengthen adolescent's defending behaviour to name-calling. This was…

Teachers' efforts to manage classroom social dynamics can have positive effects on students' social relationships. One way that teachers may seek to manage these relationships is through seating arrangements. In a randomized control trial, van den Berg, Segers, and Cillessen (2012) found that closer proximity in the classroom can reduce disliking…

The development of social-emotional skills is crucial in early childhood. Behavior problems in early childhood are risk factors for difficulties throughout childhood and adolescence and beyond. Considering the importance of developing social and emotional skills during early childhood, this study introduced the Papilio-3to6 program into everyday…

Students who have been found eligible for special education services based on an emotional disturbance can have difficulties fostering relationships with their peers and experiencing feelings of connectedness to their school. One way to increase feelings of school connectedness is through a social-emotional learning curriculum, such as Positive…

Children with autism are more likely to be socially excluded than their neurotypical peers. Since the majority of children with autism attend mainstream schools, interventions are needed to improve the attitudes and behaviours of their peers. Many studies highlight the influence of contact on positive attitudes and reduced discrimination. Group…

This article explores the impact of a global youth work project that aimed to engage young people in social issues through the medium of hip-hop. We discuss the literature on education for social justice and then give an overview of the hip-hop project we analysed. We go on to explore the qualitative findings, asking what practices were most…

The current study examined the effectiveness of a social skills treatment (PEERS) for improving socio-emotional competencies in a sample of high-functioning adolescents with ASD. Neuropsychological and self- and parent-report measures assessing social, emotional, and behavioral functioning were administered before and after treatment. Following…