Emotionally competent children and young adults are able to recognize emotions in themselves and others and articulate them verbally, expressing their feelings and, if necessary, regulating them. This is important both in social relationships and also for success in school. This book introduces what emotional competence means and how young adults can acquire it. On the child=s side, the influences of gender, temperament, executive functions, and language development are involved. In addition, parental upbringing and the influence of peers, social class and culture also play a part. Programs for supporting emotional competence are presented. For this second edition, the book has been fully revised and a chapter on diagnosis has been added.