Social and emotional learning for vulnerable and marginalized children and young people

Abstract

Social and emotional learning (SEL) has been on the rise in recent decades in various countries and cultures across the globe. Its rise is not only a reflection of the increasing social and emotional challenges that children and young people are facing in the twenty first century and the need for education to address such issues, but also a result of the increasing evidence that SEL has social, emotional and academic benefits. Universal, school-based SEL has been found to be particularly helpful to support the social and emotional needs of vulnerable and marginalized children. In this chapter, we argue that SEL as a universal, inclusive approach is very well placed to effectively address the social and emotional needs of vulnerable and marginalized children and young people, both to promote their positive development and to prevent social, emotional and behavior difficulties. Universal interventions, however, may need to be complemented by additional targeted interventions. Integrated multi-tiered interventions within an inclusive whole school approach will ensure that vulnerable and marginalized children are more likely to be reached and supported without the risk of labelling and stigmatization.