Children and adolescents exposed to violence may develop mental health problems, impacting their ability to develop appropriate social-emotional skills. Limited development of social-emotional skills has been associated with poor performance in school. A review of the literature was conducted to better understand social-emotional development in children and its role in a child's ability to function in the school setting. The developmental psychopathology framework is used to illuminate the dynamic relationship between children and their contexts. Specifically, the context of school is explored to identify its role in providing services that address the needs of children and adolescents with social-emotional limitations.
Keywords: Adolescent mental health; child maltreatment; exposure to violence; schools; social-emotional development.