Social Skills Group Intervention for Adolescents

Social Skills Group Intervention for Adolescents (S.S.GRIN-A) is an expanded version of S.S.GRIN, a small group therapy intervention that combines social learning and cognitive-behavioral techniques to build children's social skills and social relations with peers. S.S.GRIN-A builds on S.S.GRIN in a number of ways, such as including developmentally appropriate curriculum for adolescents aged 13-16 years-old, a more diverse set of social skills and providing a varied format of didactic and experiential training during sessions. Further, to most effectively meet the needs of adolescents, S.S.GRIN-A extends the skill training for decreasing antisocial and impulsive behavior and more directly addresses social triggers for aggression, such as peer pressure and indirect bullying. It is designed to be used by mental health professionals, including psychologists, school counselors, and social workers.

The overarching goals of S.S.GRIN-A are to:

  • Learn and practice key social skills (e.g., anger management, impulse control, etc.)
  • Enhance self-esteem and promote positive interests
  • Develop positive character traits, such as respect, responsibility, perseverance, and motivation
  • Master adaptive coping strategies for dealing with social conflict (e.g., teasing, bullying, and peer pressure)
  • Build empathy and the ability to see the viewpoint of others
  • Decrease conflict with others and improve social problem-solving skills
  • Develop positive social relationships and decrease relations with antisocial peers

Social Skills Group Intervention for Adolescents is comprised of 12, 60-minute group sessions (parents attend 4 of the 12 sessions). Within the sessions, specific skills and concepts are taught through didactic instruction, practice and thought provoking activities, modeling, role playing, positive reinforcement, and cognitive re-framing.

Research Support for S.S.GRIN-A:

S.S.GRIN-A underwent an efficacy trial utilizing a community sample of adolescents aged 13-16 years-old (N=72) (Harrell, Mercer, & DeRosier, 2008). Youth who participated in Social Skills Group Intervention for Adolescents, as compared to youth in the control group, showed:

  • A statistically significant reduction in internalizing problems
  • A statistically significant increase in social self efficacy
  • A statistically significant increase in global self-concept