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Social skills training with young adolescents

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Abstract

It is hypothesized that young adolescents with social skills difficulties can be helped by group social skills training if a school setting is used and school staff are involved in selection and treatment. An intervention using group social skills training was run in a secondary school as part of the curriculum. The results of 9 treated subjects on three measures were compared with those of an equal number of subjects who had no treatment. Scores were computed before treatment, after treatment, and at follow- up. On two of the measures significant improvement was found in the case of the treated subjects, while there was no improvement in the case of the untreated subjects.

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Received B.A. from Pembroke College, Oxford, in 1966 and M.A. in 1983. Completed postgraduate professional training as a psychologist at the Tavistock Centre in 1971. He has previously worked as an educational psychologist and currently works as principal clinical psychologist at Peterborough District Hospital, Peterborough, PE3 6DA, United Kingdom. He has published papers in a number of clinical areas. Currently his main research interest is in social skills.

He was previously associated with the Institute of Psychiatry at the Maudsley Hospital in London. His research interest is in person-centered therapy and in testing assumptions derived from the theories of Carl Rogers. He has published extensively in this area and is currently developing research into the process of psychotherapy.

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Bulkeley, R., Cramer, D. Social skills training with young adolescents. J Youth Adolescence 19, 451–463 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01537474

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