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Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Social Skills Program for Preadolescents

Peer relations play a major role in the social development of children and youth. Social workers are well aware of the potential negative consequences for children who are socially excluded, and they frequently work with these children concerning issues of truancy, academic performance, delinquency, and substance abuse. This article discusses the outcome of a social skills program designed to improve the social interactions offifth-grade children. Results indicated that the treatment group made significant gains on sociometric, observational, and self-perception measures. The importance of using school social workers and staff and integrating social skills programs into elementary school curricula is also discussed.