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Asset Development. Developmental Assets:. Positive characteristics and factors that form the foundation of the healthy development of children and adolescents. Risky Behaviors and Situations. Sex Violence Anti-social behavior Depression/suicide School problems Driving and alcohol
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Developmental Assets: Positive characteristics and factors that form the foundation of the healthy development of children and adolescents.
Risky Behaviors and Situations • Sex • Violence • Anti-social behavior • Depression/suicide • School problems • Driving and alcohol • Gambling
Thriving Indicators • School success • Helping others • Valuing diversity • Good health • Leadership • Resistance to danger • Delaying gratification • Overcoming adversity
External Assets • Support. • Empowerment. • Boundaries and expectations. • Constructive use of time.
Internal Assets • Commitment to learning • Positive values • Social competencies • Positive identity
Characteristics of an Asset Development Effort • Demands a commitment from the whole community. • Should be participatory. • Should be based on what’s actually needed in the community. • Should focus on the positive. • Demands a coordinated, community-wide effort.
Support: External Asset Needed by Kids • Family support. • Positive family communication. • Other adult relationships. • Caring neighborhood. • Parental involvement in schooling.
Empowerment: External Asset Needed by Kids • Community values in youth. • Youth as resources. • Service to others. • Safety.
Boundaries and Expectations: External Assets Needed by Kids • Family boundaries. • School boundaries. • Neighborhood boundaries. • Adult role models. • Positive peer influence. • High expectations.
Constructive Use of Time: External Assets Needed by Kids • Creative activities • Youth programs • Religious communities • Time at home
Commitment to Learning: Internal Assets Needed by Kids • Achievement motivation. • School engagement. • Homework. • Bonding to school. • Reading for pleasure.
Positive Values: Internal Assets Needed by Kids • Caring • Equality and social justice • Integrity • Honesty • Responsibility • Restraint • Personal power • Self-esteem • Sense of purpose • Positive view of personal future
Advantages to the Asset Development Approach • It is based on extensive research. • Encourages community buy-in. • Makes tackling youth issues seem more possible. • Each community develops its own scheme based on the assets it needs. • Data can be analyzed in numerous ways. • Aims at long-term social change. • Healthy youth help foster a healthy community. • Can address a broad range of issues. • Can increase community cohesiveness.
Disadvantages to the Asset Development Approach • The data that assets are based on are limited to a largely white population and only youth. • There’s no clear guidance as to how to develop assets. • The community is dependent on Search Institute (or another entity, if you use a different system) to analyze surveys. • Small communities may not have large enough populations to identify assets and gaps accurately. • There is no guarantee that asset development will address the current problem. • Most adolescents do all right despite the fact that they don’t have the ideal number of assets.
How do you use an asset development approach? • Someone has to take the initiative. • Form a coalition or other group to introduce asset development (and the idea of the survey/asset assessment) to the community. • Once the community agrees to pursue use of the survey, its logistics have to be worked out. • Implement the survey. • Analyze the report of the survey results. • Communicate your findings to the community. • Plan your next steps. • Present the plan to the community. • Continue to monitor, evaluate, and adjust new action plans, and to maintain the gains you’ve made. • Implement your initial action plan.
Who can take initiative? • A pre-existing coalition. • Civic officials or a civic agency. • A parent group. • A community-based or other non-profit organization. • A community-wide non-profit. • A faith-based organization or clergy association. • A business or business group.
Questions to Anticipate Regarding Surveys • Who’s behind the survey? What are their credentials, where are they from? • What other communities have used the survey, and what did they do with it? • Is the survey anonymous and confidential? What will happen to the results after they are tabulated? Can people opt out? • What will this cost the community and how does that translate to the tax rate? • Who will be responsible for setting up the survey and transmitting, receiving, and publicizing the results?
Examination of the Results Can Tell You: • Which assets are most often lacking for youth in your community. • Which risk factors are greatest for youth in your community. • Which groups of youth are at greatest risk in which areas. • Which thriving indicators are most often found, and among whom.
Steps in the Planning Process • Convene a diverse, inclusive and participatory planning group representing all sectors of the community. • Determine what assets you’ll focus on • Do your research. • Develop a strategic plan for building assets. • Design an action plan.