Wow, a mixing of my different lives. Many of you know me as a firebrand of neighborhood issues. . . . and I have been holding my tongue on the schools and kids strand, because I didn't necessarily want to mix my personal political participation on this list with my professional career. . . . but then someone had to go and mention Search Institute. I work as the Community Knowledge Specialist at Search Institute. I support community-based organizations and initiatives around the country that are struggling to build healthy communities that support healthy youth.
Search Institute has conducted thousands of studies on all aspects of youth and child development and community change of the last 40 years. Over the last decade much of this research has revolved around an alternative model of how we think about youth. Instead of focusing on the liabilities, the risks, or the problems -- it focuses on what are the resources, or assets, that youth need to be healthy. Through extensive research the scientists developed a list of 40 development assets that have a significant correlation with healthy youth outcomes.
Saying that there is "no concrete evidence that a child who has 30 assets will be more successful that a child who has 15 or 10 or even 4" Is kind of like saying that there is no concrete evidence that smoking causes cancer. That is partially true -- there is no proof that smoking causes cancer; there is however a very high correlation between smoking and certain types of cancer. Likewise study after study have shown that there is a very high correlation between the development assets and the absence of risky behavior, and a high correlation between the development assets and the presence of healthy behavior. (
http://www.search-institute.org/catalog/Research/fragile.html)
Here is an example of the findings:
|
0-10 Assets |
11-20 Assets |
21-30 Assets |
31-40 Assets | |
|
Problem Alcohol Use |
53% |
30% |
11% |
3% |
|
Illicit Drug Use |
42% |
19% |
6% |
1% |
|
Sexual Activity |
33% |
21% |
10% |
3% |
|
Violence |
61% |
35% |
16% |
6% |
and on the positive side:
|
0-10 Assets |
11-20 Assets |
21-30 Assets |
31-40 Assets | |
|
Succeeds in School |
7% |
19% |
35% |
53% |
|
Values Diversity |
34% |
53% |
69% |
87% |
|
Maintains Good Health |
25% |
46% |
69% |
88% |
|
Delays Gratification |
27% |
42% |
56% |
72% |
(sorry for those reading in text)
The same kind of impact is evident with many other problem behaviors, including tobacco use, depression and attempted suicide, antisocial behavior, school problems, driving and alcohol, and gambling. . This was based on over 100,000 surveys in 1996-7. An updated data set was recently released that included data from over 200,000 surveys and is weighted on demographic and ethnic variables. The results are very similar-- and equally stunning.
I would be more than happy to take the time to review the scientific literature on this issue with anyone, or invite you to come and meet with the dedicated scientist from around the country that work with communities, organizations, schools, and researchers every day to more fully understand what are the resources and environments we need to provide youth to ensure they have the best chance of success. Here are some starting places: Benson, P.L., Leffert, N., Scales, P.C., & Blyth, D.A. (1998). Beyond the "village" rhetoric: Creating healthy communities for children and adolescents. Applied Developmental Science, 2(3), 138-159; and Leffert, N., Benson, P.L., Scales, P.C., Sharma, A., Drake, D., & Blyth, D.A. (1998). Developmental assets: Measurement and prediction of risk behaviors among adolescents. Applied Developmental Science, 2(4), 209-230
The Asset approach is not a program. Search Institute does not produce curriculum for schools, or the silver bullet program that makes kids succeed. Peter Benson, Search Institute's President, has never been to St. Louis Park or any where else to sell a program. He speaks all of the country urging people, not just professionals, but everyone to become part of making our community a healthy place for kids. Sometimes he might get a little excited as part of a presentation, and passionately call on all of us to become involved in the lives of kids (see his book "All Kids are our Kids") But he would never say a community's commitment to kids would fail if one person was opposed to nurturing the assets of youth.
The assets have become very popular because, even though it is rooted in science, it is even more firmly rooted in common sense. We don't always need a professional to tell us that it is important to smile at a child, to provide them nurturing environments, to clearly communicate boundaries and expectations. We shouldn't need social scientist's permission to reach out and form bonds with kids, or realize how important the school climate is to successful learning. Unfortunately for too long child and youth development did leave these things out and instead focused on what were the problems and how to fix them. Too often the funding for youth programs all focuses around fixing instead of building the assets our youth will need to succeed. Too often the government program are structured around antiquated models of youth development which lead to the proliferation of another new flashy programs that will fix everything.
In 23 states and 4 Canadian providence's, communities have adopted the Asset approach as a way to bring together schools and police departments, social service providers and businesses and focus the communities efforts in an intentional way on behalf of kids. This process usually starts, just as it did in St. Louis Park, when the community administers the "Profiles of Student Life: Attitudes and Behaviors" survey." This survey takes a snap shot of what assets the youth in the community have developed. Very often people are shocked to hear the voices of youth in their community. One of the assets for youth is growing up in a community that values youth. In one community I was at in northern Nevada the study showed 24% of the youth said the community valued youth. The parents all said -- but we do value youth. The facilitators said, "yes -- perhaps you do, but the point is less than 1/4 of the kids think that you do." This starts the dialogue, and inevitable action for positive change.
I am very excited about the work that communities all across American and Canada are doing with the development assets. It inspires me ever day, and I would be more than happy to meet with any member of the list to talk more about the research, the experiences, and where the movement for positive youth development and asset-based community change is going. For list members I would even make a gift certificate for one of our resources available. (Unless of course that violates the lists rules about marketing)
Sincerely,
Joseph Barisonzi
Lyndale, Ward 10
Community Knowledge Specialist
The Search Institute
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
