The Effectiveness Social Competence Instruction on the Tendency towards High- Risk Behaviors in the male adolescents of well-being boarding centers in Sabzevar and Mashhad

Objective: Risky behaviors are one of the major threats for health and well being, which increase the probability of physical, psychological and social harm for individual. High-risk behaviors include a variety of different behaviors such as tobacco use, drugs, alcohol or malicious behaviors that can endanger the health and well-being of adolescents and prevent their success and future growth. Today the prevalence of high-risk behaviors in adolescents has become one of the most important concerns of the society.  Despite the activities carried out over the recent has witnessed a progressive growth. One of these groups is teenage and orphans boys who are facing multiple social and psychological problems during their stay in social welfare centers, which requires special skills to deal with them. The lack of these skills is a major contributor to the disadvantages for adolescents living in these centers and away from the family environment. Therefore, this research was conducted with the aim of investigating the effectiveness of social competence instruction on the tendency towards high-risk behaviors of male adolescents’ residence in social welfare centers. Materials & Methods: This study research was a quasi-experimental study with pre-test, post-test, and a control group design. The statistical population of this study included all of the male adolescents aged 12-18 years old living in Sabzevar and Gulistan Ali (Fakoor)'s Mashhad cities. The study sample included 30 adolescents aged 12-18 years old selected by sampling method from the social welfare centers of Sabzevar and Mashhad cities, and were randomly divided into intervention and control groups of 15 people. The experimental group participated in twelve 60 minutes sessions of the social competence training program while the control group participated in two 8-hour at the first aid workshop, Iranian Adolescent Risk-Taking Scale (Iranian Adolescents Risk-Taking Scale) and research-made demographic checklist were used to collect the data. The 12- 18 years old selected by convenience sampling method from the well-being boarding centers of Sabzevar and Mashhad cities, and assigned to two groups of intervention and control of 15 people. The experimental group participated in a social competence training program for 12 sessions in one hour, and the control group participated in the first aid workshop during two sessions of  8-hour. For data collection Iranian Adolescent Risk-Taking Scale (Iranian Adolescents Risk-Taking Scale) and research-made demographic checklist were used to collect the data. The data were analyzed by multivariate covariance analysis (MANOVA) and version 22 of SSPSS software before and after the intervention. Results: The mean scores in the experimental group decreased from 93/9 to 86/81, and the results of t-test indicated that there was a significant difference between the mean before and after the intervention (T=2/97, P=0/010). The results of MANCOVA revealed a significant difference between the mean post-test scores of a tendency towards high-risk behaviors in the experimental and control groups. (P<0.001, F=24/ 08). Also, the results of MANCOVA showed that there was a significant difference between the mean post-test scores of tendency towards dangerous driving, violence, smoking, drug, alcohol use, Sexual relation and behavior, relationship with opposition to gender, high-risk behaviors in experimental and control groups posttest scores of experimental and control groups had a significant difference with regard to tendency towards dangerous driving, violence, smoking, drug, alcohol use, Sexual relation and behavior, relationship with opposition to gender, high-risk behaviors in experimental and control groups (P<0.001). Based on Eta2, 47/1% of the change in the tendency towards high-risk behaviors is due to the participation of subjects in the social competence training program. Therefore, it can be conducted that social competence instruction has a positive effect on the reducing tendency to behaviors high-risk male teens that residence in boarding under the supervision of welfare organization. Conclusion: orphans and abandoned male adolescents experience lifestyle stresses and tensions throughout their lifetime in well-being boarding centers. Unfortunately, they experience a negative social status that makes it difficult and everlasting to succeed. The social competence improves skills, increases the capacity to adapt to different situations, and dealing with problems in adolescents. Therefore, it is recommended that planning to provide social competence training. For male adolescents residence in well-being, boarding centers is essential in order to increase the effectiveness of the four skills of social adequacy and ultimately reduce the tendency towards high-risk behaviors.