Emotional manipulation in social and emotional learning and pastoral support: the ‘dark side’ of emotional intelligence and its consequences for schools

ABSTRACT

The facilitation of children’s emotional intelligence (EI) through social and emotional learning (SEL) and wider pastoral support schemes is common practice in schools. Although the benefits of enhanced EI have been widely reported, little is known about its ‘dark side’: emotional manipulation, or how this may manifest in school settings. Focus group and individual interview data gathered from staff members working across case study schools located in a town in the North West of England inform the points raised in this paper. The article explores the extent to which emotional manipulation takes place in the strategies and forms of support utilised by schools to enhance children’s social, emotional and behavioural skills. The ramifications of emotionally manipulative behaviours are discussed and recommendations for future directives are made.

KEYWORDS:

• Emotional intelligence
• emotional manipulation
• social and emotional learning
• pastoral support
• schools

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Peter Wood

Peter Wood Senior lecturer in Education and Early Childhood Studies. My teaching and research interests stem from my time working in primary schools as a Behaviour Support Worker and Learning Mentor. My recent research has largely focussed on the use of social and emotional learning schemes and pastoral teams within schools. I am particularly interested in the home-school relationship, teachers’ perceptions of parenting, and how they influence practices concerned within the development of children’s social, emotional and behavioural skills.