The 40 Developmental Assets

• External Assets
  • 1. Family Support – Family life provides high levels of love and support.
  • 2. Positive family communication – Young person and his or her parent(s) communicate positively, and young person is willing to seek advice and counsel from parents.
  • 3. Other adult relationships – Young person receives support from three or more nonparent adults.
  • 4. Caring neighborhood – Young person experiences caring neighbors.
  • 5. Caring school climate – School provides a caring, encouraging environment.
  • 6. Parent involvement in school – Parent(s) are actively involved in helping young person succeed in school.
  • 7. Community values youth – Young person perceives that adults in the community value youth.
  • 8. Youth as resources – Young people are given useful roles in the community.
  • 9. Service to others – young person serves in the community one hour or more per week.
  • 10. Safety – Young person feels safe at home, at school and in the neighborhood.
  • 11. Family boundaries – Family has clear rules and consequences and monitors the young person’s whereabouts.
  • 12. School boundaries – School provides clear rules and consequences.
  • 13. Neighborhood boundaries – neighbors take responsibility for monitoring young person’s behavior.
  • 14. Adult role models – Parent(s) and other adults model positive, responsible behavior.
  • 15. Positive peer influence – Young person’s closest friends model responsible behavior.
  • 16. High expectations – Both parent(s) and teachers encourage young person to do well.
  • 17. Creative activities – Young person spends three or more hours per week in lessons or practice in music, theater or other arts.
  • 18. Youth programs – Young person spends three or more hours per week in sports, clubs or organizations at school or in community.
  • 19. Religious community – Young person spends one or more hours per week in activities in a religious institution.
  • 20. Time at home – Young person is out with friends “with nothing special to do” two or fewer nights per week.
• Internal Assets
  • 21. Achievement motivation – Young person is motivated to do well in school.
  • 22. School engagement – Young person is actively engaged in learning.
  • 23. Homework – Young person spends at least one hour per day doing homework.
  • 24. Bonding to school – young person cares about his or her school.
  • 25. Reading for pleasure – Young person reads for pleasure three or more hours per week.
  • 26. Caring – Young person places high value on helping other people.
  • 27. Equality and Social Justice – Young person places high value on promoting equality and reducing hunger and poverty.
  • 28. Integrity – Young person acts on convictions and stands up for his or her beliefs.
  • 29. Honesty – Young person tells the truth, even when it is not easy.
  • 30. Responsibility – Young person accepts and takes responsibility.
  • 31. Restraint – Young person believes it is important not to be sexually active or use alcohol or other drugs.
  • 32. Planning and decision making – Young person knows how to plan ahead and make choices.
  • 33. Interpersonal competence – Young person has empathy, sensitivity and friendship skills
  • 34. Cultural competence – Young person has knowledge of and comfort with many people of different cultural/racial/ethnic backgrounds.
  • 35. Resistance skills – Young person can resist negative peer pressure and dangerous situations.
  • 36. Peaceful conflict resolution – Young person seeks to resolve conflict nonviolently.
  • 37. Personal power – Young person feels he or she has control over things that happen to him or her.
  • 38. Self-esteem – Young person reports having a high self-esteem.
  • 39. Sense of purpose – Young person reports that his or her life has purpose and meaning.
  • 40. Positive view of personal future – Young person is optimistic about his or her personal future.