40 Developmental Assets/Character Traits
1. Family support – Family life provides high levels of love and support
2. Positive family communication – Young person and his/her parent (s) communicate positively, and young person is willing to seek advice/counsel from parent (s)
3. Other adult relationships – Young person receives support from three or more non-parent adults
4. Caring neighborhood – Young person receives experiences caring neighbors
5. Caring school climate – School provides a caring, encouraging environment
6. Parent involvement in schooling – Parent (s) are actively involved in helping young person succeed in school
7. Community values youth – Young person perceives that adults in the community value youth
8. Youth as resources – Young people are given useful roles in the community
9. Service to others – Young person serves in the community one hour or more per week
10. Safety – Young person feels safe at home, at school, and in the neighborhood
11, Family boundaries – Family has clear rules and consequences and monitors the young person’s whereabouts
12. School boundaries – School provides clear rules and consequences
13. Neighborhood boundaries – Neighbors take responsibility for monitoring young person’s behavior
14. Adult role models – Parent (s) and other adults model responsible, positive behavior
15. Positive peer influence – Young person’s best friends model responsible behavior
16. High expectations – Both parent (s) and teachers encourage the young person to do well
17. Creative activities – Young person spends three of more hours per week in lessons or practice in music, theater, or other arts
18. Youth programs – Young person spends three of more hours per week in sports, clubs, or organizations at school and/or the community
19. Religious community – Young person spends one or more hours per week in activities in a religious institution
20. Time at home – Young person is out with friends “with nothing to do” two or fewer nights per week
21. Achievement motivation – Young person is motivated to do well in school
22. School engagement – Young person is actively engaged in learning
23. Homework – Young person reports doing at least one hour of homework every school day
24. Bonding to school – Young person cares about his/her school
25. Reading for pleasure – Young person reads for pleasure three or more hours per week
26 Caring – Young person places high value on helping other people
27. Equality and social justice – Young person places high value on promoting equality and reducing hunger an poverty
28. Integrity – Young person acts on convictions and stands up for his or her beliefs
29. Honesty – Young person “tells the truth even when it is not easy”
30. Responsibility – Young person accepts and takes personal responsibility
31. Restraint – Young person believes it is important not to be sexually active or to use alcohol or other drugs
32. Planning and decision making – Young person knows how to plan ahead and make choices
33. Interpersonal competence – Young person has empathy, sensitivity, and friendship skills
34. Cultural competence – Young person has knowledge of an comfort with people of different cultural/racial/ethnic backgrounds
35. Resistance skills – Young person can resist negative peer pressure and dangerous situations
36. Peace conflict resolution – Young person seeks to resolve conflict nonviolently
37. Personal power – Young person feels her or she has control over “things that happen to me”
38. Self-esteem – Young person reports having high self esteem
39. Sense of purpose – Young person reports that “my life has purpose”
40. Positive view of personal future – Young person is optimistic about his/her personal future