Developmental Assets: A Synthesis of the Scientific Research on Adolescent Development Book

This foundational volume, revised in 2004, examines more than 800 scientific articles and reports on adolescent development that tie to each of the 40 developmental assets identified by Search Institute. An invaluable reference for people who seek to build assets for youth through their programs and communities, it not only shows the strong scientific foundation that undergirds the asset framework, but also shows what is known about how assets are built and their impact on different populations of youth.

The book:
Shows how the scientific literature defines each category of assets.
Discusses the research findings on the impact of assets on young people's behaviors.
Highlights learnings about how the assets are built for different populations of youth.
Provides in-depth information on how each asset works.

VOYA

In discussing findings from an analysis of more than twelve hundred scientific studies on adolescent development, the authors use a conceptual model developed by Search Institute, a nonprofit organization whose "mission is to advance the wellbeing of adolescents and children," as a framework for discussion. This model identifies forty factors critical to a person's healthy growth and divides them into eight categories: support, empowerment, boundaries and expectations, constructive use of time, commitment to learning, positive values, social competencies, and positive identity. Although careful to show how the research supports the work, the authors also critically examine areas in which the model is limited. Arguing that the perception of youth is often a distorted and negative one, the authors stress that research conducted by the Search Institute is focused on the positive assets that encourage healthy development. Emphasis is placed on the importance of neighborhood and community support and on the ways that all adults can help young people through caring relationships and assetbuilding. This title will be valuable for researchers and educators in the field of adolescent development. Those who work with youth in organizations and communities might refer to it if they are interested in the asset model of the Search Institute. Youth librarians and high school media specialists might find this a useful reference for their professional collections. [Editor's Note: For more information about the work done by Search Institute, see its Web site at http://www.searchinstitute.org.html.] Index. Charts. Biblio. Further Reading. 1999, Search Institute, Ages Adult, 279p,$24.95.Reviewer: Hilary Crew