Social Development

Social Development refers to how people develop social and emotional skills across the lifespan, with particular attention to childhood and adolescence. Healthy social development allows us to form positive relationships with family, friends, teachers, and other people in our lives. As we mature, we learn to better manage our own feelings and needs and to respond appropriately to the feelings and needs of others.

Social development can be effected by a child’s personality, the opportunities they have for social interaction, behaviors learned from parents, and developmental disorders. For example, a child who has a short temper and who witnesses violence in the home may have trouble learning how to play well with other kids.