40 Developmental Assets

When I realized that I had not blogged about the 40 Developmental Assets yet, I could not believe it has taken me so long! I'm excited about them because they are basically a map of what children need to improve their chances of "thriving" in life.

The list of assets was created from extensive research on children's development, resiliency, and prevention of high-risk behaviors. The more assets a child has, the more likely he or she is to "thrive," which was defined as succeeding in school, helping others, valuing diversity, maintaining good health, exhibiting leadership, resisting danger, being financially responsible, and overcoming adversity. The more assets a child has, the less likely he or she is have high-risk patterns, such as school problems, depression/suicide, antisocial/criminal behavior, violence, irresponsible alcohol use, smoking, drug use, drinking and driving, adolescent sexual activity, and gambling.

Sadly, the average young person experiences fewer than half of the assets. Boys tend to experience fewer than girls, with an average of 17.2 compared to 19.9.

The following link will take you to a page where you can read more about the assets and download a list of them. There is a new specific list of assets for the K-3 age group! If you would rather I send a list home with your child, just let me know. I will also put some in the "Parenting Pockets" on the wall outside my office.

http://www.search-institute.org/developmental-assets-are-free