40 Developmental
Assets
Search Institute has identified the following building blocks of healthy development
that help young people grow up healthy, caring, and responsible.
| Category |
|
Asset Name/Definition |
| External
Assets |
|
SUPPORT
1. Family support—Family life provides high levels of love and
support.
2. Positive family communication—Young person and
her or his parent(s) communicate positively, and young person is willing
to see advice and counsel from parent(s).
3. Other adult relationships—Young person receives
support from three or more nonparent adults.
4. Caring neighborhood—Young person experiences
caring neighbors.
5. Caring school climate—School provides a caring,
encouraging environment.
6. Parent involvement in schooling—Parent(s) are
actively involved in helping young person succeed in school.
EMPOWERMENT
7. Community values youth—Young person perceives that adults in
the community value youth.
8. Youth as resources—Young people are given useful
roles in the community.
9. Service to others—Young person serves in the
community one hour or more per week.
10. Safety—Young person feels safe at home, at school,
and in the neighborhood.
BOUNDARIES & EXPECTATIONS
11. Family boundaries—Family has clear rules and consequences and
monitors the young person’s whereabouts.
12. School boundaries—School provides clear rules
and consequences.
13. Neighborhood boundaries—Neighbors take responsibility
for monitoring young people’s behavior.
14. Adult role models—Parent(s) and other adults
model positive, responsible behavior.
15. Positive peer influence—Young person’s
best friends model responsible behavior.
16. High expectations—Both parent(s) and teachers
encourage the young person to do well.
CONSTRUCTIVE USE OF TIME
17. Creative activities—Young person spends three or more hours
per week in lessons or practice in music, theater, or other arts.
18. Youth programs—Young person spends three or
more hours per week in sports, clubs, or organizations at school and/or
in the community.
19. Religious community—Young person spends one
or more hours per week in activities in a religious institution.
20. Time at home—Young person is out with friends
“with nothing special to do” two or fewer nights per week.
|
|
|
|
| Internal
Assets |
|
COMMITMENT TO LEARNING
21. Achievement motivation—Young person is motivated to do well in
school.
22. School engagement—Young person is actively engaged
in learning.
23. Homework—Young person reports doing at least one
hour of homework every school day.
24. Bonding to school—Young person cares about her
or his school.
25. Reading for pleasure—Young person reads for pleasure
three or more hours per week.
POSITIVE VALUES
26. Caring—Young person places high value on helping other people.
27. Equality and social justice—Young person places
high value on promoting equality and reducing hunger and poverty.
28. Integrity—Young person acts on convictions and
stands up for her or his beliefs.
29. Honesty—Young person “tells the truth even
when it is not easy.”
30. Responsibility—Young person accepts and takes
personal responsibility.
31. Restraint—Young person believes it is important
not to be sexually active or to use alcohol or other drugs.
SOCIAL COMPETENCIES
32. Planning and decision making—Young person knows how to plan ahead
and make choices.
33. Interpersonal competence—Young person has empathy,
sensitivity, and friendship skills.
34. Cultural competence—Young person has knowledge
of and comfort with people of different cultural/racial/ethnic backgrounds.
35. Resistance skills—Young person can resist negative
peer pressure and dangerous situations.
36. Peaceful conflict resolution—Young person seeks
to resolve conflict nonviolently.
POSITIVE IDENTITY
37. Personal power—Young person feels he or she has control over
“things that happen to me.”
38. Self-esteem—Young person reports having a high
self-esteem.
39. Sense of purpose—Young person reports that “my
life has a purpose.”
40. Positive view of personal future—Young person
is optimistic about her or his personal future. |
