How Strengthening Human Skills Can Help Manage Behavior and Conduct Issues

In a recent EdWeek Research Center survey, 72% of educators said students in their classroom, school, or district have been misbehaving more than in 2019. This is up from the 70% of educators in 2023 and the 66% of educators in 2021 who said the same. Over the past six years, a growing majority of educators feel that student behavior is worse than the year before.

These statistics suggest that a growing number of students are struggling to meet the basic behavior expectations in their classrooms, which can lead to a variety of other challenges both in and out of school. The most immediate effect of negative student behavior is that it greatly hinders learning—both for the student misbehaving and for their classmates around them.

The roots of behavior and conduct issues are complex, of course, but there are research- and skills-based solutions that can help. In addition to tiered interventions—which are a vital solution in their own right—educators should also prioritize helping students strengthen the human skills that proactively support healthy behavior.

Human skills like emotion management, responsible decision-making, and collaboration form the foundation of healthy student behavior. Helping students build these skills is a key solution to reversing the negative behavior trends we’re witnessing across the country—here’s how.

Emotion management influences behavior

The ability to process and manage emotions plays a key role in influencing healthy student behavior. Conversely, students who struggle to regulate their emotions are more likely to exhibit deficits in behavioral conduct—such as aggression and antisocial behavior. These deficits make it more difficult for students to attend to information presented by teachers and to perform school-related tasks, which further disrupts their learning.

Kids have a lot of feelings—big, often messy feelings. When those feelings inevitably arise in the classroom, kids need to be able to recognize what they’re feeling, why they’re feeling it, and how to respond appropriately in their behavior. A negative outburst isn’t just a poor decision—it’s the result of poor emotion management. By prioritizing this fundamental competency, we empower kids with the ability to handle the big feelings that make them human and to respond with healthy behavior.

Responsible decision-making is a growth catalyst

A key factor in student behavior is a student’s ability to make responsible, appropriate, and healthy decisions. Acting “inappropriately” is exactly what it sounds like—a misunderstanding of the appropriate way to act in various situations and environments. In PE class or recess, it’s perfectly appropriate for a kid to jump and yell at the top of their lungs. But during a math lesson, that behavior isn’t appropriate. In many cases, negative student behavior stems from poor decision-making in relation to an environment or situation.

When students possess the ability to understand the difference between a healthy decision and an unhealthy one—and the potential consequences of each—they’re more likely to make the choice that leads to a positive outcome. In other words, responsible decision-making is a catalyst for healthy behavior, learning, and overall growth.

Collaboration and cooperation matter—a lot

Anyone who’s ever managed a classroom—of any size—will likely agree that student behavior is a social issue as well as a personal issue. A student’s relationships, or lack thereof, with their peers directly influence their behavior in the classroom. Simply put, students are more likely to act out if they aren’t getting along.

This is where cooperation and collaboration come in as key human skills to proactively manage behavior issues. When students develop their ability to connect with their classmates in healthy ways, they’re less likely to misbehave in reaction to disagreements, differences, or difficult dynamics—all of which are inevitable in any classroom. Helping kids build the skills they need to communicate, manage conflict, and work together toward common goals is a proactive way to promote healthy classroom behavior.

A skills-based foundation for healthy student behavior

In light of the increasing concerns around student behavior, it’s clear that educators need proactive strategies to foster skills that support healthy behavior. By equipping students with essential human skills—such as emotion management, responsible decision-making, and collaboration—educators can build a foundation that supports healthier classroom behavior. Second Step® programs are designed to help PreK–12 students develop these essential human skills and more. Connect with our Education Partnerships Team to learn more about bringing Second Step programs to your school or district.