Indicated prevention of behavioral problems: Training socioemotional skills at the school context

Conduct problems in childhood are considered a priority objective of prevention at educational and health settings. The factors involved in the development of conduct problems are numerous, but emotional and sociocognitive skills seem to play a central role and, consequently, they are considered as appropriate targets for prevention programs. This study examines the feasibility and efficacy of an indicated prevention program focused on training of socioemotional and sociocognitive skills. The participants were 128 children with behavioral problems, 67 in the intervention condition and 59 controls. The program consists of 19 sessions administered at the school context, which train children in skills for emotional identification and regulation, conflict solving, perspective taking and social skills. The study shows that the program is feasible and that it generates high rates of participation. It was also found that the program improves the emotional, cognitive and social skills, and it reduces the conduct problems, especially teacher-reported conduct problems. The evidence which is being consolidated on socioemotional training suggests the need to advance towards the study of effectiveness and program dissemination, with the aim of identifying which factors optimize the implementation in natural conditions of prevention.