CASEL Identifies Five Core Competencies

• Self-awareness: The ability to accurately recognize one's emotions and thoughts and their influence on behavior. This includes accurately assessing one's strengths and limitations and possessing a well-grounded sense of confidence and optimism.
• Self-management: The ability to regulate one's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations. This includes managing stress, controlling impulses, motivating oneself, and setting and working toward achieving personal and academic goals.
• Social awareness: The ability to take the perspective of and empathize with others from diverse backgrounds and cultures, to understand social and ethical norms for behavior, and to recognize family, school, and community resources and supports.
• Relationship skills: The ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups. This includes communicating clearly, listening actively, cooperating, resisting inappropriate social pressure, negotiating conflict constructively, and seeking and offering help when needed.
• Responsible decision-making: The ability to make constructive and respectful choices about personal behavior and social interactions based on consideration of ethical standards, safety concerns, social norms, the realistic evaluation of consequences of various actions, and the well-being of self and others.

What is Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)?

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.

Life and Society

SEL gives people-from childhood through the full life span-the tools they need to build and maintain positive relationships, control strong emotions, and express empathy. Public health and safety also improve.

Workers and Workplaces

Communication, getting along with others, assertiveness, and problem-solving are all skills taught in an SEL program. These skills help people and organizations build a healthy, supportive, and successful work environment.

Students and Schools

SEL helps build a foundation that supports students' success both personally and academically. When kids are equipped with social-emotional skills, they're better able to learn and contribute to a positive school climate.

$11 returned for each $1 invested in social-emotional learning

79% of employers say SEL skills are the most important qualities for job success

20% less bullying by students with disabilities

13% increase in academic achievement with SEL

Students were 42 percent less likely to say they were involved in physical aggression

5-12% decrease in school dropout rates associated with SEL

Strong Return on Investment

A review of six SEL interventions in evidence-based SEL programs showed that for every dollar invested there was an economic return of 11 dollars.

Improved Behavior

Studies show decreased dropout rates, school and classroom behavior issues, drug use, teen pregnancy, mental health problems, and criminal behavior.

For more on the benefits of SEL

Visit SEL Impact

Increased Academic Achievement

According to a 2011 meta-analysis of 213 studies involving more than 270,000 students, those who participated in evidence-based SEL programs showed an 11% point gain in academic achievement

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have a tremendous impact on future violence victimization and perpetration, and lifelong health and opportunity. Working together, we can help create neighborhoods, communities, and a world in which every child can thrive.

ACEs are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood (0-17 years). For example:

• experiencing violence or abuse
• witnessing violence in the home or community
• having a family member attempt or die by suicide

Also included are aspects of the child's environment that can undermine their sense of safety, stability, and bonding such as growing up in a household with:

• substance misuse
• mental health problems
• instability due to parental separation or household members being in jail or prison

ACEs are linked to chronic health problems, mental illness, and substance misuse in adulthood. ACEs can also negatively impact education and job opportunities.

However, ACEs are preventable. Creating and sustaining safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments for all children and families can prevent ACEs and help all children reach their full potential. CDC has produced a resource, Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Leveraging the Best Available Evidencepdf icon, to help states and communities take advantage of the best available evidence to prevent ACEs. It features six strategies from the CDC Technical Packages to Prevent Violence.