(descriptive): The Life Skills approach is recommended by Pan American Health Organization (Paho) as a model for preventing behaviors of early consumption of psychoactive substances. In this sense, it is important to identify the state of this abilities development in adolescents, with the purpose of reflecting about learning experiences, which promote educative institutions; those skills are tied in with abilities for a healthy life. This article presents a critical approach to the notion of life skills and two emergent research categories, as part of the results: Life Skills approach: critical perceptions from adolescents, and a contextual overview of the development of social skills in this population. Key words: Skill, Education, Development, Configuration, Adolescence (Unesco Social Sciences Thesaurus).