In our second exploration of the key external developmental assets, we will be focusing on how offering support to our young people helps to enhance their lives.

The Support Assets are:

• Family support - Family life provides high levels of love and support.

• Positive family communication - Young person and her or his parent(s) communicate positively, and young person is willing to seek advice and counsel from parent(s).

• Other adult relationships - Young person receives support from three or more nonparent adults.
  

• Caring neighborhood - Young person experiences caring neighbors.

• Caring school climate - School provides a caring, encouraging environment.

• Parent involvement in schooling - Parent(s) are actively involved in helping young person succeed in school.

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Since 1989 Search Institute has extensively surveyed more than 2 million young people between the ages of 12 and 18. As a result, they developed the 40 Developmental Assets, a list of factors in a teens life that are “concrete, common sense, positive experiences and qualities essential to raising successful young people.”

One category of assets is Empowerment. In order for teens to feel empowered, Search Institute has found that they need these experiences to be present during adolescence :

• 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 hour or more per week.

• Safety - Young person feels safe at home, at school, and in the neighborhood.

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Since 1989, Search Institute has surveyed over 2 million youth (12-18) in the United States and Canada. Through this research they learned about the experiences, attitudes, behaviors, and the number of Developmental Assets at work for these young people. Through this research they developed the 40 Developmental Assets®. These factors in a teens life are “concrete, common sense, positive experiences and qualities essential to raising successful young people.” Studies revealed strong and consistent relationships between the number of assets present in a teens’ lives and the degree to which they develop in positive and healthful ways. Results have shown that the greater the number of Developmental Assets present in a young person’s life, the more positive and successful their development. The fewer the number of assets present, the greater the possibility youth will engage in risky behaviors such as drug use, unsafe sex, and violence.

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