40 Developmental Assets

Search Institute's framework of developmental assets is based on years of scientific inquiry into risk and resiliency factors, as well as normal developmental processes, and provides a way to assess the health and well-being of middle and high school age youth.

The assets represent a common core of developmental building blocks crucial for all youth, regardless of community size, region of the country, gender, family economics, or race/ethnicity.  Research has shown that youth with higher levels of assets are significantly less likely to engage in risk-taking behaviors, such as substance abuse, delinquency, truancy, or too-early sexual activity.

Assets are grouped into external and internal assets.  When provided by many different formal and informal systems in a community, they stimulate and nurture positive development in youth.  

External Assets

 Support:
Family support ~ family life provides high levels of love and support.
Positive family communication ~ when young person and his/her parent(s) communicates positively, and then young person is willing to seek advice and counsel from parent(s).
Other adult relationships ~ young person receives support from three or more non-parent adults.
Caring neighborhood ~ young person experiences caring neighbors.
Caring school climate ~ school provides caring, encouraging environment.
Parent involvements in schooling ~ parent(s) are actively involved in helping young person succeed in school.

Empowerment:
Community values youth ~ young person perceives that adults in the community value youth.
Youth as resources ~ young people are given useful roles in the community.
Service to others ~ young person serves in the community one or more hours per week.
Safety ~ young person feels safe at home, at school, and in the neighborhood.

Boundaries and Expectations:
Family boundaries ~ family has clear rules and consequences and monitors the young person’s whereabouts.
School boundaries ~ school provides clear rules and consequences.
Neighborhood boundaries ~ neighbors take responsibility for monitoring young people’s behavior.
Adult role models ~ parent(s) and other adults model positive, responsible behavior.
Positive peer influence ~ young person’s best friends model responsible behavior.
High expectations ~ both parent(s) and teachers encourage the person to do well.

Constructive Use of Time:
Creative activities ~ young person spends three or more hours per week in lessons or practice in music, theater, or other arts.
Youth programs ~ young person spends three or more hours per week in sports, clubs, or organizations at school and/or in the community.
Religious community ~ young person spends one or more hours per week in activities in a religious institution.
Time at home ~ young person is out with friends “with nothing special to do” twice or fewer nights per week.

Internal Assets

Commitment to Learning:
Achievement motivation ~ young person is motivated to do well in school.
School engagement ~ young person is actively engaged in learning.
Homework ~ young person reports doing at least one hour of homework every school day.
Bonding to school ~ young person cares about her/his school.
Reading for pleasure ~ young person reads for pleasure three or more hours per week.

Positive Values:
Caring ~ young person places high value on helping other people.
Equality and social justice ~ young person places high value on promoting equality and reducing hunger and poverty.
Integrity ~ young person acts on convictions and stands up for her/his beliefs.
Honesty ~ young person “tells the truth even when it is not easy”.
Responsibility ~ young person accepts and takes personal responsibility.
Restraint ~ young person believes it is important not to be sexually active or to use alcohol or other drugs.

Social Competencies:
Planning and decision making ~ young person knows how to plan ahead and make choices.
Interpersonal competence ~ young person has empathy, sensitivity, and friendship skills.
Cultural competence ~ young person has knowledge or and comfort with people of different cultural, racial, and/or ethnic backgrounds.
Resistance skills ~ young person can resist negative peer pressure and dangerous situations.
Peaceful conflict resolution ~ young person seeks to resolve conflict nonviolently.

Positive Identity:
Personal power ~ young person feels he/she has control over “things that happen to me”.
Self-esteem ~ young person reports having a high self-esteem.
Sense of purpose ~ young person reports that “my life has purpose”.
Positive view of personal future ~ young person is optimistic about her/his personal future.