1. Building Assets in Youth
Presented by: Allen ISD Middle School Counselors

2. Developmental Assets:
According to Jolene L. Roehlkepartain, author of Building Assets Together, developmental assets are at the heart of the vision of helping young people grow up healthy, caring and principled: positive relationships, opportunities, commitments, values, and competencies.

3. 40 Developmental Assets EXTERNAL ASSETS SUPPORT EMPOWERMENT
BOUNDARIES AND EXPECTATIONS
CONSTRUCTIVE USE OF TIME
1. Family Support
7. Community Values
11. Family Boundaries
17. Creative Activities
2. Positive Family Communication
8. Youth as Resources
12. School Boundaries
18. Youth Programs
3. Other Adult Relationships
9. Service to Others
13. Neighborhood Boundaries
19. Religious Community
4. Caring Neighborhood
10. Safety
14. Adult Role Models
20. Time at Home
5. Caring School Climate
15. Positive Peer Influence
6. Parental Involvement in School
16. High Expectations

4. COMMITTMENT TO LEARNING
40 Developmental Assets
INTERNAL ASSETS
COMMITTMENT TO LEARNING
POSITIVE VALUES
SOCIAL COMPETENCIES
POSITIVE IDENTITY
21. Achievement Motivation
26. Caring
32. Planning and Decision Making
37. Personal Power
22. School Engagement
27. Equality and Social Justice
33. Interpersonal Competence
38. Self-Esteem
23. Homework
28. Integrity
34. Cultural Competence
39. Sense of Purpose
24. Bonding to School
29. Honesty
35. Resistance Skills
40. Positive View of Personal Future
25. Reading for Pleasure
30. Responsibilitiy
36. Peaceful Conflict Resolution
31. Restraint
EXTERNAL ASSETS

5. How are our kids doing?
Research shows that the majority of 6th to 12th grade students only experience about 18 of the 40 assets in their lives.
What effect does the lack of assets have on our kids?

6. The power of developmental assets
High Risk Behavior Patterns
Percent at Risk
Category
Definition
Total
0-10 Assets
11-20 Assets
21-30 Assets
31-40 Assets
Alcohol
Three or more uses in the past month and / or got drunk once or more in the past 2 weeks
27%
53%
30%
11% 3%
Illicit Drugs
Three or more uses in the past year
18%
42%
19% 6% 1%
Sexual Activity
Sexual intercourse 3 or more times in a lifetime
33%
21%
10%
Antisocial Behavior and Violence
Three or more acts of violence in the past year
61%
35%
16%
School Problems
Skipped school 2 or more days in the past month and/or has below a C average
43% 7% 2%

7. The power of developmental assets
Positive Behaviors
Percent Involved
Category
Definition
Total
0-10 Assets
11-20 Assets
21-30 Assets
31-40 Assets
School Success
Gets mostly A’s in school
23% 7%
19%
35%
53%
Values Diversity
Places high importance on getting to know people of other racial/ethnic groups
56%
34%
69%
87%
Maintains Good Health
Pays attention to healthy nutrition and exercise
52%
25%
46%
88%
Exhibits Leadership
Has been a leader of a group or organization in the past year
68%
48%
67%
78%

8. Developing assets among american youth
99,462 6th – 12th Grade Students Surveyed:
Results:
1. I receive lots of love and support from my family. 64%
2. My parents and I communicate positively & I am willing
to go to my parents for advice and counsel 26%
3. I receive support from 3 or more non-parent adults. 41%
4. I experience caring neighbors %
5. My school provides a caring, encouraging environment. 24%
6. My parents are actively involved in helping me succeed
school %
7. I believe the adults in my community value youth. 20%
8. I believe that young people are given useful roles in my
community %
9. I serve in my community for 1 or more hr. per week. 50%
10. I feel safe at home, at school, and in my neighborhood. 55%

9. Developing assets among american youth… continued!
11. My family has clear rules and consequences, and monitors
my whereabouts %
12. My school provides clear rules and consequences. 46%
13. My neighbors take responsibility for monitoring young
people’s behavior %
14. Parents and other adults model positive, responsible
behavior %
15. My best friends model responsible behavior. 60%
16. Both my parents and teachers encourage me to do well. 41%
17. I spend 3 hours or more per week in lessons or practice
in music, theater, or other arts %
18. I spend 3 or more hours per week in sports, clubs, or
organizations %
19. I spend 1 or more hour per week in activities at a religious
institution %
20. I go out with friends “with nothing special to do” 2 or
fewer nights per week %

10. Developing assets among american youth… continued!
21. I am motivated to do well in school. 63%
22. I am actively engaged in learning. 64%
23. I do at least one hour of homework every school day. 45%
24. I care about my school %
25. I read for pleasure 3 or more hours per week. 24%
26. I place a high value on helping others. 43%
27. I place a high value on promoting equality & reducing
hunger and poverty %
28. I act on my convictions and stand up for my beliefs. 63%
29. I tell the truth even when it is not easy. 63%
30. I accept and take personal responsibility. 60%
31. I believe it is important not to be sexually active or to use
alcohol and drugs %
32. I know how to plan ahead and make choices. 29%
33. I have empathy, sensitivity, and friendship skills. 43%
34. I have knowledge of and comfort with people of different
cultural/racial/ethnic backgrounds. 35%

11. Developing assets among american youth… continued!
35. I can resist neg. peer pressure and dangerous situations. 37%
36. I seek to resolve conflicts nonviolently. 44%
37. I feel I have control over things that happen to me. 45%
38. I have a high self-esteem %
39. I believe my life has a purpose. 55%
40. I am optimistic about my personal future. 70%

12. The Impact of Assets
The more developmental assets that young people have, the more likely they are to lead healthy, positive, productive lives.
The more developmental assets that young people have, the less likely they are to make harmful decisions.
The more developmental assets that young people have, the less likely they are to have problems with alcohol, drugs, sexual involvement, and depression.

13. Assets by Grade & Gender

14. Rethinking how we work with youth
Instead of focusing on the negative problems, an asset promoting approach focuses on building positive relationships, opportunities, values, and skills that help youth make positive choices in all areas of life.
We must still deal with the problems, but more time is spent focusing on building assets through relationships.
Instead of focusing on developing programs and teaching information, an asset promoting approach focuses on nurturing relationships.
Most assets are best developed through positive and caring relationships.
Instead of focusing on immediate, short-term issues, an asset promoting approach focuses on long term goals and opportunities.
Instead of seeing youth as the problem, young people become part of the solution. They play important roles towards nurturing both their own assets and the assets of their friends.