Life skills

One of the reasons why a high number of adolescents and young people show risky behaviours is because they lack the skills necessary for adulthood: skills such as working and communicating with others, understanding themselves, and making decisions.

Life skills in adolescents refer to the skills and competencies needed to build or adopt positive behaviours that enable them to deal effectively with the challenges of everyday life. The development of life skills allows adolescents to cope with their environment by making responsible decisions, having a better understanding of their values, and being better able to communicate and get along with others. Early adolescence is singled out as a critical moment of opportunity for building skills and positive habits, since at that age there is a developing ability to think abstractly, to understand consequences, and to solve problems.

Life skills translate into positive behaviours that promote health, mental wellbeing and good social relationships. Among the most important life skills are assertiveness and decision-making.