Interpersonal Relationship, Academic Performance, & Life Skills: A Comparative Study of Children With and Without Emotional and Behavioral Problems

Background Emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs) in children significantly influence developmental domains, including interpersonal relationships, academic performance, and life skills. Methods A cross-sectional study was adopted with purposive sampling. The study includes 120 children aged 6–14 years from West Bengal, equally divided into groups with and without EBPs. Standardized tools such as the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC), Child Interpersonal Relationships and Attitudes Assessment (CIRAA), Academic Performance Scale (APS), and Life Skills Assessment Scale (LSAS) were used. Results Children with EBPs significantly scored lower in interpersonal relationships ( p = .015) and life skills ( p < .001) compared to peers without EBPs. However, they seem to scored slightly better in academic performance ( p = .026). Correlation analyses showed a weak but significant relationship between EBPs and interpersonal relationships (r = 0.198, p = .030), a negative correlation with academic performance (r = −0.217, p = .017), and a moderately strong positive correlation with life skills (r = 0.457, p < .001). Conclusion These EBPs obstruct the development of interpersonal and life skills, while their impact on academics varies with contextual factors. Thus, the study stresses that interventions should provide academic support, social-emotional learning and life skills training in schools and communities.