Developmental Assets

In 1990, the Search Institute, a nonprofit organization that conducts youth development research, identified forty developmental assets which children need to succeed. Developmental assets are internal and external factors that help to produce caring, healthy and responsible adolescents. Internal assets are strengths and values within an individual which guide his or her choices, decisions and priorities; while external assets are positive developmental experiences that empower youth by providing boundaries, expectations, support and opportunities for the structured use of time. The Search Institute has identified the top five developmental assets as family support, positive family communication, relationships with other adults and having a caring neighborhood and educational setting.

The more developmental assets a child has, the greater the likelihood that he or she will make responsible choices, do well in school and avoid alcohol and illegal drugs. Families should have clear rules and consequences (When adolescents play a role in picking their own punishments, they gain a greater sense of ownership over their behavior and are more likely to change it.), monitor youth’s whereabouts and communicate positive values, including being concerned with equality and social justice, having integrity, and being honest and responsible. Parents should know their children’s friends and welcome them into their homes. It is important that teens learn how to avoid dangerous situations and resist negative peer pressure and that their friends model responsible behavior.

To gain developmental assets, young people should volunteer in the community and/or participate in activities at a religious institution one hour or more per week and spend three or more hours weekly engaged in clubs; lessons/practices for music, theater or other arts; and sports. It is beneficial for teens to read for pleasure at least three hours every week. Parents and teachers should set high expectations and encourage children to do well, however, youth need the adults in their lives to model ways to thrive in the real world rather than perfection.

Reading to or with your children, sharing at least one meal a day with them and using it as an opportunity to learn about one another, and limiting television watching or other screen time all build developmental assets. In contrast to formal face-to-face conversations, however, youth are more likely to open up on a walk or while you are together in the car. If your child is not willing to talk, tell him or her that you will check back later and then actually do so or identify an adult outside of your immediate family, such as another relative, a teacher or a coach, with whom he or she can discuss how he or she is feeling. The latter will let adolescents know that they have permission to do so instead of mistakenly believing that they have to handle everything on their own.

Youth should learn how to plan ahead and make decisions; and be culturally competent by having knowledge of and being comfortable with those of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. Teens with significant numbers of developmental assets are optimistic about the future, feel a sense of purpose and believe that they have personal power. Parents should share their family history. Adolescents with a strong “intergenerational self” have higher self-esteem and a greater sense of control over their lives because they feel connected to something larger than themselves and understand that all families experience highs and lows.

Through the concrete, common sense and positive experiences involved in building developmental assets, adolescents learn to focus on solutions rather than problems, to have a sense of passion and purpose and to be resilient. In addition, for those with existing mental health issues, recognizing and building on their strengths can reduce stigma and create hope rather than despair.