The Effectiveness of Social–Emotional Skills Training in Reducing Relational Aggression and Promoting Prosocial Behaviors among Students
Keywords:
Social–emotional learning, relational aggression, prosocial behavior, students, thematic analysis, TehranAbstract
This study aimed to explore students’ lived experiences of the perceived effectiveness of social–emotional skills training in reducing relational aggression and enhancing prosocial behaviors in school settings. This qualitative study employed a thematic analysis design. The participants consisted of 24 lower-secondary school students from Tehran who were purposively selected from among students who had participated in a school-based social–emotional skills training program. Data were collected exclusively through semi-structured interviews and continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Initial saturation occurred after the twenty-first interview, and three additional interviews were conducted to confirm the stability and adequacy of the emerging categories. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed through iterative coding, constant comparison, theme development, and thematic refinement using NVivo software. To enhance trustworthiness, member checking, peer debriefing, analytic memo writing, and continuous comparison between codes and interview excerpts were employed. Data analysis led to the identification of five main categories: “emotional self-awareness and reduction of impulsive reactions,” “empathy and weakening of exclusion and rumor-spreading,” “communication and conflict-resolution skills in peer relationships,” “promotion of prosocial behaviors and collective responsibility,” and “contextual conditions influencing the sustainability or erosion of training effects.” Students described that social–emotional training helped them recognize anger and jealousy, pause before reacting, understand the emotional consequences of exclusion, and replace indirect hostility with dialogue, apology, support, and cooperation. The most frequently reported changes included decreased intentional exclusion, reduced gossiping, greater willingness to help isolated classmates, and improved collaboration in group activities. The findings suggest that social–emotional skills training can serve as a school-based strategy for reducing relational aggression and strengthening prosocial behaviors among students. However, the durability of these perceived effects depends on teacher support, family involvement, classroom climate, peer norms, and continued opportunities to practice social–emotional competencies in real school situations.
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