What do our kids need to succeed? How do we as concerned citizens and parents, shape our homes, schools, churches and communities to see our youth develop self-confidence, personal strength, and resistance skills? How do we nurture the positive and reduce the negative influences our children face daily?
Research from the Search Institute, a non-profit organization based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has identified 40 concrete, positive experiences and qualities - "developmental assets" - that have a tremendous influence on young people's lives. They are things that people from all walks of life can help to nurture. Research shows that these developmental assets help our young people make wise decisions, choose positive paths, and grow up competent, caring, and responsible.
Everone can help build assets. Families, schools, neighborhoods, congregations, and all organizations, institutions, and individuals in the community can play a role in building assets for youth. The more assets our youth possess, the less likely they will be to participate in risky behavior.
Assets have a tremendous power to protect youth from many different harmful or unhealthy choices. To illustrate, this chart shows that youth with the most assets are least likely to engage in four different patterns of high-risk behavior.
In addition to protecting youth from negative behaviors, having more assets increases the chances that young people will have positive attitudes and behaviors, as this chart shows.
