Practice Recommendations for 

Skill-building Interventions

Skill-building interventions teach youth skills to manage social interactions and control executive responses 

such as anger and impulsivity. Skills may be interpersonal skills, problem solving skills, mindfulness strategies 

for managing emotions, stress, and improving focus, and other similar skills.

Examples of Skill-building Interventions

• Interpersonal or social skills training

• Conflict management or resolution training

• Anger management training

• Assertiveness training

• Social problem-solving training

• Executive functioning skills training

• Perspective taking and emotional awareness

training

• Mindfulness and relaxation skills training

Our recommendations are specific to the outcomes that your program is targeting. Below, we present our 

recommendations for reducing externalizing behaviors, improving social competence, and improving 

self-regulation.

Is your program focused on reducing externalizing behaviors reducing externalizing behaviors?

Externalizing behaviors are maladaptive behaviors directed toward others or one’s environment. Examples 

include fighting, threatening others, bullying, disruptiveness, breaking rules at school or at home, and temper 

tantrums.

1

2

3

Have “specialized” staff deliver your program

Skill-building interventions delivered by specialists such as school psychologists, 

social workers, or trained youth prevention specialists, showed greater reductions in 

participants’ externalizing behavior than those taught by other personnel, including 

volunteers, teachers, researchers, and law enforcement officers.

Teach from dedicated lesson plans

Skill-building interventions that used manuals and dedicated lesson plans showed 

greater reductions in participants’ externalizing behavior than those that were not 

manualized.

Emphasize conflict resolution skills

Skill-building interventions that included conflict resolution skills content showed 

greater reductions in youth externalizing than those that did not include this content.

2

3

Visit youth.gov/epi to find evidence-based practice guidelines for youth using a core 

components approach.
Is your program focused on improving social competence improving social competence?

Social competence refers to the social skills and social adjustment necessary to successfully navigate 

interpersonal relationships and one’s social environment. Examples include cooperation, assertive 

communication, helping others, social awareness, peer acceptance, adaptability, and a sense of belonging.

1

Consider providing programming within a school setting

Skill-building interventions delivered in a school setting showed greater improvements 

in social competence than those provided in community-based settings.

2 Increase frequency of skill-building sessions

Skill-building interventions that met more than once per week showed greater 

improvements in social competence than those that met less frequently.

3

Provide opportunities for youth to learn and practice interpersonal skills

Skill-building interventions that included interpersonal skills content showed greater 

improvements in social competence than those that did not include this content. Interpersonal 

skills include communication skills, peer group interactions, prosocial behaviorm conflict 

resolution and collaborative problem-solving, and understanding feelings and emotions.

Is your program focused on improving self-regulation improving self-regulation?

Self-regulation is an individual’s ability to manage one’s emotions and behavior in accordance with the needs 

of the situation. Examples include the ability to calm oneself when upset, to pay attention and persist on a task, 

control impulses, “switch gears” in response to changing demands, and engage in planning prioritizing, and 

juggling multiple tasks toward a goal.

Universal 

Skill-Building 

Interventions

• Do you provide

services to all children

and youth in your

setting?

• Is your program

focused on preventing

problems before they

 start?

Provide services in the community or school 

pull-out sessions

Universal skill-building interventions that were delivered in community or

school resource room settings showed greater improvements in 

self-regulation than those that were delivered in classrooms.

Provide opportunities for youth to learn 

problem-solving skills

Universal skill-building interventions that teach the problem-solving

sequence showed greater improvements in participants’ self-regulation than 

those that did not teach problem-solving skills.

Targeted 

Skill-Building 

Interventions

• Do you provide

services to small 

groups or pull students 

out of class for your

program?

• Does your program

focus on youth referred 

or nominated for 

challenging behavior?

• Is your program

focused on mitigating

problems or preventing

further problems?

Carefully assess how well your program fits

your context

Targeted skill-building interventions that were modified by the study authors or

that had more flexible manuals or curricula showed greater improvements in 

participants’ self-regulation than those delivered as the curriculum was intended.

Emphasize relaxation skills

Targeted skill-building interventions that included relaxation skills 

content showed greater improvements in self-regulation than those that did 

not include this content.

Provide opportunities for youth to learn and practice 

self-regulation skills

Targeted skill-building interventions that included modeling of skills or 

opportunities to practice skills showed greater improvements in 

self-regulation than those that did not include this content.
Evidence for Program Improvement was established by The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation 

(ASPE) to develop evidence-based practice guidelines for youth programs using a core components 

approach. Our goal is to better understand the characteristics of effective programs for youth and share 

guidelines about how to make those programs more effective with those who design, support, and 

implement them. 

Visit our website (https://youth.gov/epi) to learn more about the core components approach and to view our 

practice recommendations.

This document was prepared by Abt Associates under contract number HHSP233201500069I Order No. 

HHSP23337013T from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary 

for Planning and Evaluation. Any statements expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily 

reflect the views of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, or the U.S. Department 

of Health and Human Services.