Researchers have learned a great deal in the past several decades about elements in human experience that have long-term, positive consequences for young people. Factors such as family dynamics, support from community adults, school effectiveness, peer influence, values development, and social skills have all been identified as contributing to healthy development. However, these different areas of study are typically disconnected from each other.
The framework of Developmental Assets steps back to look at the whole-to pull many pieces together into a comprehensive vision of what young people need to thrive. In addition to roots in the scientific research on adolescent development, the assets grow out of two types of applied research:
We continued to review the research, as well as conduct our own studies, cumulatively surveying more than 350,000 6th-12th graders in more than 600 communities between 1990 and 1995 to learn about the Developmental Assets they experienced, the risks they took, the deficits they had to overcome, and the ways they thrived.
We also conducted numerous informal discussions and focus groups, in particular to better understand the developmental realities of youth of color and youth in distressed communities. Those focus groups led us to elaborate more on safety and cultural competence as assets in adolescence. As a result of all those ongoing research activities, in 1996 we revised the Developmental Assets framework into its current form, a model of 40 Developmental Assets.
