The 79 relational interventions that included any content relating to interpersonal skills or intrapersonal development showed greater reductions in participants’ externalizing behavior than those that did not include this content. More than half (46) of these interventions included content related to both interpersonal skills and intrapersonal development.

Youth who lack interpersonal skills tend to have difficulty expressing themselves, understanding others, and navigating social interactions with peers, teachers, and parents. They may become frustrated more easily, and lack the healthy coping skills needed to avoid aggressive or disruptive behavior. Youth with less-developed interpersonal skills also are more likely to be rejected by their prosocial peers, which can lead to associations with anti-social peer networks, further exacerbating externalizing behavior. Many of the interventions contributing evidence to this recommendation addressed both interpersonal skills and intrapersonal development – values, norms, and beliefs about the self, and personal skills like goal-setting. Some of these intrapersonal factors, in combination with interpersonal skills, may help buffer or reduce the risk of engaging in externalizing behaviors.

Assess Feasibility

Current content..
Assess the extent to which your program already covers interpersonal skills and intrapersonal development. See Box 1 below for the type of content to look for.
Program structure..
Assess whether there is room to add this content to your curriculum or program guidance. Where would it fit? What would need to change? For example, would you need to add sessions? Increase time spent on this content relative to other areas? Train staff to deliver the content?
Funding requirements..
Are there funding constraints on what content must be delivered? Is there flexibility to modify content?
Resources.
Review current resources. What resources might need to be added or shifted to accommodate content changes?
Organizational readiness..
Engage your team for input on the type of support they will need. What kind of information, training, or resources do they need to implement these changes to content?

Take Action

Consider any of the following depending on the results of your assessment:

Identify subject matter experts who can provide in-service training to your organization and teams to learn best practices for integrating interpersonal skills into relational interventions like mentoring or counseling.
Revise lessons plans, staff training content or internal program guidance to ensure coverage of interpersonal skills.
Incorporate interpersonal skills as a case management goal for mentor-mentee matches and counseling clients.
Train mentors on ways to practice interpersonal skills with their mentees, and suggest activities that provide these opportunities.
Engage youth in planning to ensure content is youth-focused and designed to meet their needs.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS CONTENT

Family communication and relationships
Peer communication, peer relationships, peer group interaction
Prosocial behavior (voluntarily helping, sharing, cooperating with others)
General interpersonal communication skills (e.g., active listening)
Identifying, understanding, and communicating feelings
Conflict Resolution

INTRAPERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Values clarification
Individual responsibility
Self-confidence, self-efficacy, self-competence
Self-concept or understanding yourself
Self-worth or self-esteem
Goal setting
Decision-making

Breadcrumb

Provide Opportunities for Youth to Learn and Practice Interpersonal Skills and Intrapersonal Development

Outcome

Externalizing Behavior

Intervention Family

Relational Interventions