Effectiveness of school‐based universal social, emotional, and behavioral programs: Do they enhance students’ development in the area of skill, behavior, and adjustment?

TLDR

The authors conducted a meta‑analytical review of 75 recent studies to determine whether teaching social and emotional skills in schools can extend schools’ role beyond knowledge transfer. The review examined universal school‑based SEB programs, focusing on outcomes such as increased social skills and reduced antisocial behavior. Overall, the analysis revealed beneficial effects across seven outcome categories, with immediate effects generally stronger than delayed ones except for substance abuse, which showed a sleeper effect. The article discusses limitations and moderators of SEB program effectiveness in its final section.

Abstract

To answer the question of whether teaching social and emotional skills to foster social–emotional development can help schools extend their role beyond the transfer of knowledge, the authors conducted a meta‐analytical review of 75 recently published studies that reported the effects of universal, school‐based social, emotional, and/or behavioral (SEB) programs. The analyzed interventions had a variety of intended outcomes, but the increase in social skills and decrease in antisocial behavior were most often reported. Although considerable differences in efficacy exist, the analysis demonstrated that overall beneficial effects on all seven major categories of outcomes occurred: social skills, antisocial behavior, substance abuse, positive self‐image, academic achievement, mental health, and prosocial behavior. Generally, immediate effects were stronger than delayed effects, with the exception of substance abuse, which showed a sleeper effect. Limitations of the analysis and moderators of the effectiveness of SEB programs in schools are discussed in the final section of the article.