Training in social skills: an alternative technique for handling disruptive child behavior

The purposes of this study were to examine the type of response to different situations displayed by children with or without conduct disorders and to assess the efficacy of the social skills training program herein proposed for modifying styles of interpersonal relationship in children. The sample included 315 children, 8 to 12 years of age. Those exhibiting conduct problems were 164 boys, and those having no conduct problems were 151 boys. All participants shared a low socioeconomic and cultural status and attended schools located in poor districts of Mendoza City in Argentina. Analysis showed that the groups trained in social skills improved in social interaction by reducing disruptive behaviors, whereas the groups without social skills training showed no behavioral changes. These data were confirmed by the teachers' assessments. These results suggest social skills training seems an efficient therapeutic approach to the attenuation of behavior disorders of boys.