Intervention in emotional competence

A recent research, conducted by Margaret Gaspar de Matos and colleagues, revealed that the percentage of Portuguese students who get hurt on purpose (15% of a sample of 5050 students) did not differ much with that seen in countries like the United States of America, Canada and Finland.

Social isolation is also a theme studied by researcher João Correia, professor of ISPA | IU (Portugal). In addition to research findings on self-flagellating, social isolation also plaguing many school-age youth. Thus, the percentage of students that can, somehow, develop risk behaviors could be must more. According to research by Margarida Gaspar de Matos, self-directed aggression is a distorted way that teenagers have to regulate their emotions, showing difficulty in managing and express them. They also have little ability to make friends, have a low self-concept and often engage in bickering.

Emotional competence
Emotional competence can be described as the ability to decode their own emotions (and those of other social partners), to express them and regulate them consistently and in relation to the age of each, or in respect of each social context in order to negotiate interpersonal exchanges (which happen in contact with each other) and regulate their own emotional experiences.


A good emotional competence allows the child to deal optimally with social situations with which they will encounter, including their acceptance in peer groups (according to several researchers who have an impact on self-esteem on academic success and mental health of children). Thus, children with poor emotional competence tend to develop a poor self-esteem, with consequent educational failure, engage in risk behaviors and may develop mental disorders.


Intervention in Emotional Competence
After an assessment of the dysfunctions of all elements of the group, taking into account all the systems that influence them (e.g., family system, school and peers), a group intervention should occur, through drama and sociodramatic games. Such intervention should occur in a holistic manner, i.e. with the involvement of key stakeholders from each system (e.g., parent, brother, teacher ...).


Initially, in a sufficiently large spot, one should allow for full expression of the children, so they do not feel compelled to do, or say, what they really feel, without fear of contradiction, without the agents of authority (e.g. teachers and parents) "point" to them what should do or not do. Children should feel confident in that space, so that they feel the freedom of expression that do not find in their day-to-day. To this end, may be used drama games of trust and group cohesion.


In a second phase, and as the child will build confidence, it must begin to interact with the other. Through drama games, like trust games and acting, we can explore the theme of emotions (e.g. the meaning of each emotion, how they feels them, how each one perceives the other emotions, how the affect are expressed and its consequences to the relationships). In the end, it is vital a sharing time, where the participants are invited to talk about the exercises, and how they experience them, and how they felt about it. In this sharing time, the child learns to reveal feelings, emotions and affects, and listen to different ways of feeling and expression.


At a later stage, that I call the third stage, we could introduce the method of theatrical improvisation. It is intended at this stage, with this technique, the release of social filters (i.e. social values, beliefs, social norms, stereotypes, self-perception, self-destructive thoughts). Thus, with the release of social filters (which the dynamic perspective of psychology called the super ego) children and adolescents gain greater freedom to show their emotions, to express their affects and spontaneity.


An effective intervention requires close assessment of the case. However, this outlines of the plan of action, is a work platform that reflects my experience and investigations. Through this plan, where contact with others is paramount, it is expected that children and adolescents acquire a healthy emotional regulation, it throughout the sessions, participants will feel more freedom of expression (thus avoiding obsessive-compulsive behavior, the acting out ...); internalize that there are different ways of expressing themselves and feeling (awareness that people are not equal, so you need not follow a single pattern, and an increase in self-concept); realize that the other may feel the same things but express them differently (e.g., increased solidarity, cooperation and democratic sense).