Raising Happy, Successful Children
By Rich Bayer, Ph.D.
For years, psychologists have studied children.
Specifically, they have looked at what factors are important in a
child’s emotional and intellectual development.
Some
studies have researched multiple developmental factors while others have
assessed the value of single specific factors, such as empathy or
community involvement.
But
during the past 45 years, researchers at Search Institute have focused on
putting it all together. They reviewed many existing studies and did many
of their own. Overall, they analyzed data involving 360,000 school kids.
Recently
they published their findings identifying 40 “developmental assets.”
These assets are factors that children experience in their lives that help
them do better overall, factors that help them grow up to be healthier,
happier, and more successful.
The
researchers divided these assets into two main categories, “external”
and “internal.” Here’s a description of each:
External
Assets
These
include positive experiences that children receive from people and
organizations that influence their lives. The 20 developmental assets in
this category are divided into four sub-categories:
·
Support – Growing up in a supportive environment has a
positive effect. Children need to experience emotional and intellectual
support from the people in their community. Specific assets include: 1)
family support, 2) positive family communication, 3) positive
relationships with other adults, 4) caring neighborhood, 5) caring school
and out-of-home environment, 6) Parent involvement in schooling and
out-of-home activities.
·
Empowerment – Young people need to be valued and feel safe
in their community. They also need to be invited to contribute something
to their community. Assets include: 1) a community that values the
children, 2) children are given useful roles, 3) children are encouraged
to offer service to others, 4) safety.
·
Boundaries and expectations – Young people need to know
what behavior is in-bounds and what is out-of-bounds. In addition, they
need to be encouraged to do their best. Assets include: 1) family
boundaries, 2) school boundaries, 3) neighborhood boundaries, 4) positive
adult role models, 5) positive peer influences, 6) high expectations on
what each child can do.
·
Constructive use of time – Children need positive,
meaningful, and fun things to do. Also they need places to go where adults
care about them. Assets available to children include: 1) creative
activities, 2) school and out-of-home activities such as youth programs,
3) religious community, 4) positive, supervised time at home.
Internal
Assets
These
include experiences that nurture the inner qualities of children. The
experiences vary from finding a sense of purpose to gaining the wisdom
that helps children make responsible decisions in their lives. The 20
developmental assets in this category are divided into four
sub-categories:
·
Commitment to learning – Children benefit from developing
a lifelong commitment to learning and education. Specific assets include:
1) achievement expectation and achievement motivation, 2) engagement in
learning, 3) stimulating activity and homework, 4) enjoyment of learning
and bonding to school, 5) reading for pleasure.
·
Positive values – Young people need to develop positive
internal values that guide their decisions in life. Assets to be developed
include: 1) caring, 2) sense of equality and social justice, 3) integrity,
4) honesty, 5) responsibility, 6) healthy lifestyle and attitude toward
sex.
·
Social competencies – Young people need to acquire skills
and attitudes that will help them make friends, get along with all types
of people, and avoid risky situations. Assets include: 1) planning and
decision making, 2) interpersonal skills, 3) cultural competence (becoming
comfortable with people of different cultures), 4) resistance skills
(ability to resist dangerous situations), 5) peaceful conflict resolution
skills.
·
Positive identity – Children need to have a sense of
purpose. Also they need to feel that they’re valuable or worthwhile and
that they have personal abilities, talents, and promise. Assets include:
1) personal power (feelings of being in control), 2) self-esteem, 3) sense
of purpose, 4) positive view of one’s personal future.
The
Value of Developmental Assets
The
protective power of assets has been demonstrated in studies with more than
217,000 children in grades 6 to 12. As you might expect, the more assets
children experienced in their lives, the less likely they were to engage
in, or have problems with: alcohol abuse, violence, illicit drug use,
sexual activity, depression, attempting suicide, antisocial behavior, and
causing trouble in school.
On
the other hand, the more assets young people had, the more likely they
were to exhibit leadership, maintain good health, have diverse values, and
succeed in school.
Research
has shown that the average young person experiences only 19.3 of the 40
assets but an average of 31 assets or more was associated with having the
strongest, positive influence on a child’s life. Also girls have been
shown to connect with assets a little better than boys. Girls, on average,
have 20.7 assets while boys average 17.8.
After
Search Institute published information on developmental assets in 2002,
many community and educational organizations have used the information to
evaluate needs in their communities, and to evaluate the effectiveness of
community programs.
There’s
one thing for sure. It truly does take a community to raise a child.
With
this research in hand, parents, educators and community leaders can make
key decisions on behalf of young people. For more facts and resources
about developmental assets, check online at www.search-institute.org
------------------------------------
Rich Bayer,
Ph.D., is the CEO of Upper Bay Counseling and Support Services, Inc. and a
practicing psychologist.
For More Information Contact:
Upper Bay Counseling and Support Services, Inc.
200 Booth Street, Elkton, MD 21921
Tel: 410-996-5104
Toll Free: 877-587-7750
FAX: 410-996-5197
Internet: info@upperbay.org
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