What are the parameters that may promote or undermine the effects of social skills training programs for aggressive children?
Social skills training is largely used with aggressive children as an intervention component in prevention programs aiming at reducing violence, delinquency, and school dropout. However, the efficacy of these programs is inconsistent. This text proposes an overview of the parameters that may promote or undermine the effects of prevention programs. These parameters, considered as potential moderators, either enhance or impinge on the impact of social skills training. Some of these parameters refer to participants' personal or socio-familial characteristics; others refer to characteristics of the intervention itself (e.g. length or intensity of the program, implementation elements). Study of these variables should prove usefull for improving social skill training programs.