40 Developmental Assets

524 Words3 Pages
The 40 Developmental Assets were originally created in 1990, however research began a year prior in 1989. The Search Institute began a variety of studies on student’s grades 6th -12th. The original survey entitled “Search Institute Profiles of Student Life: Attitudes and Behaviors”, was given to both public and private school students in the United States. When the Search Institute released the first report titled “The Troubled Journey: A Portrait of 6th-12th Grade Youth” in 1990, there were only 30 Developmental Assets. But by 1996 based on studies, research, surveys, and focus groups of about 350,000 youth, a revision was made and in turn the report became 40 Developmental Assets. Since this time, every few years the 40 Developmental Assets list is updated based on new research and surveys. These assets provide youth with qualities and traits needed to avoid risky behaviors as well as induce positive ones. The need for theses assets are very crucial to how a child develops and what kind of adult they will grow up to be. According to the Search Institute, children from ages 3-18 need at least 31 of the 40 assets. Also according to the research, the more assets possessed by the individual the chances of alcohol and drug use, violence and sexual activity dramatically decrease. While looking at the charts and graphs of youth 6th-12th grade, I noticed something very interesting. It seems that violence is about 20% higher than every other high-risk behavior. I also noticed that in the chart based on percentages of youth that experience the assets, the following assets we below 30%; Positive Family Communication, Caring School Climate, Community Values Youth, Youth as Resources, Creative Activities, Adult Role Models, Reading for Pleasure, and Planning and Decision Making. Personally, I think that there is a correlation between them. I see this as youth not having
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