Got Assets? What Kids Need to Succeed
Since 1996, the Hopewell Valley community has embraced the 40 Developmental Asset® model. The Search Institute's research has consistently shown the more assets a child experiences, the more likely they are to succeed and the less likely they are to engage in at-risk behaviors.
What are Developmental Assets?
They are 40 research-based, positive qualities that influence young people’s development and help them become caring, responsible, and productive adults.
How many assets does your child have?
Having 31-40 assets is optimal, 21-30 assets is adequate, 11-20 assets indicates children are vulnerable and having 0-10 assets, children are at-risk.
Want to dive deeper? Try this exercise.
Using the 40 Developmental Assets® list, circle the assets you believe your child is experiencing and then ask your child to complete an asset checklist. Compare your list with your child's list and discuss the similarities and differences. You can learn how to include these assets in your child's life by reviewing the specific asset below.
Want to build more assets in your child's life?
Click on each asset below to learn ways your child can experience the asset.
Support
1. Family Support — Family life provides high levels of love and support
2. Positive Family Communication — Parent(s) and child communicate positively.
3. Other Adult Relationships — Child receives support from adults other than her or his parent(s).
4. Caring Neighborhood — Child experiences caring neighbors
5. Caring School Climate — Relationships with teachers and peers provide a caring, encouraging environment.
6. Parent Involvement in Schooling — Parent(s) are actively involved in helping the child succeed in school.
Empowerment
7. Community Values Youth — Child feels valued and appreciated by adults in the community.
8. Children as Resources — Child is included in decisions at home and in the community.
9. Service to Others — Child has opportunities to help others in the community.
10. Safety — Child feels safe at home, at school, and in his or her neighborhood.
Boundaries & Expectations
11. Family boundaries — Family has clear and consistent rules and consequences and monitors the child’s whereabouts.
12. School Boundaries — School provides clear rules and consequences.
13. Neighborhood boundaries — Neighbors take responsibility for monitoring the child’s behavior.
14. Adult Role Models — Parent(s) and other adults in the child’s family, as well as non-family adults, model positive, responsible behavior.
15. Positive Peer Influence — Child’s closest friends model positive, responsible behavior.
16. High Expectations — Parent(s) and teachers expect the child to do her or his best at school and in other activities.
Constructive Use of Time
17. Creative Activities — Child participates in music, art, drama, or creative writing two or more times per week.
18. Child/Youth Programs — Child participates two or more times per week in co-curricular school activities or structured community programs for children.
19. Religious Community — Child attends religious programs or services one or more times per week.
20. Time at Home — Child spends some time most days both in high-quality interaction with parents and doing things at home other than watching TV or playing video games.
Commitment to Learning
21. Achievement Motivation — Child is motivated and strives to do well in school.
22. School Engagement — Child is responsive, attentive, and actively engaged in learning at school and enjoys participating in learning activities outside of school.
23. Homework — Child usually hands in homework on time.
24. Bonding to School — Child cares about teachers and other adults at school.
25. Reading for Pleasure — Child enjoys and engages in reading for fun most days of the week.
Positive Values
26. Caring — Child places high value on helping other people.
27. Equality and Social Justice — Child places high value on promoting equality and reducing hunger and poverty.
28. Integrity — Child acts on convictions and stands up for her or his beliefs.
29. Honesty — Child tells the truth even when it is not easy.
30. Responsibility — Child accepts and takes personal responsibility.
31. Restraint — Child believes it's important not be sexually active or to use alcohol or other drugs.
Social Competencies
32. Planning and Decision Making — Child knows how to plan ahead and make choices.
33. Interpersonal Competence — Child has empathy, sensitivity and friendship skills.
34. Cultural Competence — Child knows and is comfortable with people of different racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds and with her or his own cultural identity.
35. Resistance Skills — Child can stay away from people who are likely to get in trouble and is able to say no to doing wrong or dangerous things.
36. Peaceful Conflict Resolution — Child seeks to resolve conflict nonviolently.
Positive Identity
37. Personal Power — Child feels he or she has some influence over things that happen in her or his life.
38. Self-Esteem — Child likes and is proud to be the person that he or she is.
39. Sense of Purpose — Child sometimes thinks about what life means and whether there is a purpose for their life.
40. Positive View of Personal Future — Child is optimistic about her or his personal future.
Learn more about the current research on the Developmental Assets here. To learn what percentage of Hopewell Valley students who participated in the May 2022 survey experience each asset, click on Hopewell Valley Youth Report.
Since 1996, the Hopewell Valley community has embraced the 40 Developmental Asset® model. The Search Institute's research has consistently shown the more assets a child experiences, the more likely they are to succeed and the less likely they are to engage in at-risk behaviors.
What are Developmental Assets?
They are 40 research-based, positive qualities that influence young people’s development and help them become caring, responsible, and productive adults.
How many assets does your child have?
Having 31-40 assets is optimal, 21-30 assets is adequate, 11-20 assets indicates children are vulnerable and having 0-10 assets, children are at-risk.
Want to dive deeper? Try this exercise.
Using the 40 Developmental Assets® list, circle the assets you believe your child is experiencing and then ask your child to complete an asset checklist. Compare your list with your child's list and discuss the similarities and differences. You can learn how to include these assets in your child's life by reviewing the specific asset below.
Want to build more assets in your child's life?
Click on each asset below to learn ways your child can experience the asset.
Support
1. Family Support — Family life provides high levels of love and support
2. Positive Family Communication — Parent(s) and child communicate positively.
3. Other Adult Relationships — Child receives support from adults other than her or his parent(s).
4. Caring Neighborhood — Child experiences caring neighbors
5. Caring School Climate — Relationships with teachers and peers provide a caring, encouraging environment.
6. Parent Involvement in Schooling — Parent(s) are actively involved in helping the child succeed in school.
Empowerment
7. Community Values Youth — Child feels valued and appreciated by adults in the community.
8. Children as Resources — Child is included in decisions at home and in the community.
9. Service to Others — Child has opportunities to help others in the community.
10. Safety — Child feels safe at home, at school, and in his or her neighborhood.
Boundaries & Expectations
11. Family boundaries — Family has clear and consistent rules and consequences and monitors the child’s whereabouts.
12. School Boundaries — School provides clear rules and consequences.
13. Neighborhood boundaries — Neighbors take responsibility for monitoring the child’s behavior.
14. Adult Role Models — Parent(s) and other adults in the child’s family, as well as non-family adults, model positive, responsible behavior.
15. Positive Peer Influence — Child’s closest friends model positive, responsible behavior.
16. High Expectations — Parent(s) and teachers expect the child to do her or his best at school and in other activities.
Constructive Use of Time
17. Creative Activities — Child participates in music, art, drama, or creative writing two or more times per week.
18. Child/Youth Programs — Child participates two or more times per week in co-curricular school activities or structured community programs for children.
19. Religious Community — Child attends religious programs or services one or more times per week.
20. Time at Home — Child spends some time most days both in high-quality interaction with parents and doing things at home other than watching TV or playing video games.
Commitment to Learning
21. Achievement Motivation — Child is motivated and strives to do well in school.
22. School Engagement — Child is responsive, attentive, and actively engaged in learning at school and enjoys participating in learning activities outside of school.
23. Homework — Child usually hands in homework on time.
24. Bonding to School — Child cares about teachers and other adults at school.
25. Reading for Pleasure — Child enjoys and engages in reading for fun most days of the week.
Positive Values
26. Caring — Child places high value on helping other people.
27. Equality and Social Justice — Child places high value on promoting equality and reducing hunger and poverty.
28. Integrity — Child acts on convictions and stands up for her or his beliefs.
29. Honesty — Child tells the truth even when it is not easy.
30. Responsibility — Child accepts and takes personal responsibility.
31. Restraint — Child believes it's important not be sexually active or to use alcohol or other drugs.
Social Competencies
32. Planning and Decision Making — Child knows how to plan ahead and make choices.
33. Interpersonal Competence — Child has empathy, sensitivity and friendship skills.
34. Cultural Competence — Child knows and is comfortable with people of different racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds and with her or his own cultural identity.
35. Resistance Skills — Child can stay away from people who are likely to get in trouble and is able to say no to doing wrong or dangerous things.
36. Peaceful Conflict Resolution — Child seeks to resolve conflict nonviolently.
Positive Identity
37. Personal Power — Child feels he or she has some influence over things that happen in her or his life.
38. Self-Esteem — Child likes and is proud to be the person that he or she is.
39. Sense of Purpose — Child sometimes thinks about what life means and whether there is a purpose for their life.
40. Positive View of Personal Future — Child is optimistic about her or his personal future.
Learn more about the current research on the Developmental Assets here. To learn what percentage of Hopewell Valley students who participated in the May 2022 survey experience each asset, click on Hopewell Valley Youth Report.