7.1. SR 08-16-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Pass It On! Handout 3 Fast Facts about Developmental Assets for Youth* Immunizations keep young children healthy and protect them from disease. Similarly, developmental assets help kids make healthy choices and inoculate them against a wide range of risk-taking behaviors, including substance abuse, vio- lence, and school failure. The more assets young people have, the more likely they are to be healthy, Most young people surveyed by Search Institute have at least some assets (80 percent say they have 11 or more). But having only some of the assets is like get- ting only some of your shots. You might be protected against measles, but you could still get polio or hepatitis. That's why it's important to focus on giving young people all of the assets they need to be healthy. Other facts about developmental assets: people with more assets are less likely to engage in risk-taking behaviors. Young people with 10 or fewer assets say they are involved in an average of about 4.5 high- risk behaviors. Young people with 31 assets or more report an average of less than one high-risk behavior. · As young people's assets increase, their positive behaviors also increase. While young people with 10 or fewer assets report an average of fewer than 3 positive behaviors, those with 31 assets or more average 6 posi- tive behaviors. This includes school success, informal helping, valuing diversiW, and exhibiting leadership. · The average young person surveyed has 18.0 of the 40 assets. But levels of assets decrease for older youth. While the average sixth grader surveyed has 21.5 assets, the average 12th grader surveyed has 17.2 assets. · The most common asset is fi40: positive view of personal future. Seventy pement of young people surveyed report having this asset. · The least common asset is #17: creative activities. Only 19 percent of young people report having this asset. · Girls typically have more developmental assets than boys. However, boys are more likely to have #10: safety; #18: youth programs; ~r38: self- esteem; and #39: sense of purpose. · Assets that decrease in frequency between 6th and 12th grades are #3]: restraint (?! per- cent of 6th graders vs. 21 percent of 12th graders);#12: school boundaries (70 percent vs. 34 percent); and #15: positive peer influence (82 percent vs. 49 percent). · Assets that increase in frequency between 6th and 12th grades are #10: safety (45 percent vs. 68 percent); ~e37: personal power (40 percent vs. 55 percent); and ~e28: integrity (63 percent vs. 75 percent). / * Based on data from Search Institute's Profiles of Student l~Te:Attitudes and Behaviors; compiled from almost 100,000 6th to 12th graders in 213 communities across the United States.