Social Skills

Social skills are socially acceptable or valued behaviors that enable an individual to interact with others in a positive way. Specifically, social skills consist of a set of competencies necessary for an individual to initiate and maintain positive social relationships with others and to adapt to the demands of the social environment. Some scholars propose to conceptualize social skills from the perspective of social validity, which emphasizes socially situation-specific behaviors that predict important social outcomes, including peer acceptance, academic achievement, self-esteem, and overall positive adaptation to societal expectations.

Social skills are essential for individuals of all ages across all social situations. Development of social skills is particularly critical for young children and school-age children and youth. When students acquire and perform social skills adequately, they can ...