40 Developmental Assets: POSITIVE VALUES

You are what you believe

You hear a lot of debate these days about values, but it’s clear that our society needs to nurture worth-while principles, standards, and qualities in children and young people to help make them strong.

Values shape young people’s relationships, behaviors, choices, and sense of who they are. Although positive values help young people avoid risky behavior, they also help guide their day-to-day actions and interactions. Thus, values inspire, not just prohibit. Young people who have positive values are more likely to listen to their conscience, help others, be independent, tell right from wrong, and feel happy

HERE ARE THE FACTS

Research shows the more young people develop positive values that guide their behavior, the more likely they are to grow up healthy. Search Institute has identified six assets in the Positive Values category that are crucial for helping young people succeed: Caring, Equality and Social Justice, Integrity, Honesty, Responsibility, and Restraint.

TIPS FOR BUILDING THESE ASSETS

Clarifying values is critical as young people explore who they are and who they want to be. You can’t choose young people’s values for them, but you can help shape the values they choose by talking about and modeling values important to you. Present young people with consistent messages about the values you wish to instill.

Positive values give children and youth the “internal compasses” they need to guide them.  You help to shape their values when you:

  • Model positive values in your own life;
  • Ask questions that help kids think and talk about their values; and
  • Support and guide them as they put their values into practice.

HOW YOU CAN YOU INSTILL POSITIVE VALUES?

  • In your home and family: Make a list of the 10 values most important to you and your family. Find ways to help your child understand, demonstrate, and internalize these values.
  • In your neighborhood and community: Young people learn by observing the adults around them. Think about how you act. Actions reveal true values, so strive to model the behavior you want young people to imitate.
  • In your school or youth program: Create a list of shared values with students or group members. Talk about what it takes to uphold these values.

 

Want to know more about Search Institute’s other seven asset categories or the 40 Developmental Assets and ideas for helping young people build them? Visit www.ecabnetwork.org.

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Developmental Assets® are positive factors within young people, families, communities, schools, and other settings that research has found to be important in promoting the healthy development of young people. Adapted from Instant Assets: 52 Short and Simple E-Mails for Sharing the Asset Message. Copyright © 2007 by Search Institute®, 877-240-7251; www.search-institute.org. This message may be reproduced for educational, noncommercial uses only (with this copyright line). All rights reserved.

 

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About Us The Essex County Asset Builder (ECAB) Network creates regional connections and supports for individuals, families and organizations from Amesbury, Georgetown, Newbury, Rowley, Salisbury and Newburyport, in using a positive youth development approach to help youth thrive. Positive Youth Development Being a part of the ECAB Network brings local and regional opportunities.  Locally, communities have access to trainings, data, and best practices, and receive guidance on implementation and outreach strategies that build positive youth development possibilities.  Communities also get the benefit of regionalizing efforts, where networking, combining resources, current policies, and a shared vision strengthen the towns and cities as well as the region. History Recently, the communities of Amesbury, Georgetown, Newbury, Rowley, Salisbury and Newburyport came together to form the Essex County Asset Builder Network.  Funded by a three year grant, the goal of this Network is to create a common language of asset- based youth development (creating protective factors). It has been shown that youth who have more assets are less likely to engage in risky behaviors.  This grant will use the 40 Developmental Assets framework to build these protective factors and reduce risk behaviors by focusing on both the youth and the environment that shapes them. The community partnership will enhance the great work already being done to support youth and families, as well as expand community supports, opportunities, and resources. Additionally, the grant will collect and disseminate regional data, coordinate shared resources and bring educational opportunities for various sectors of the community. Goal To spread the philosophy and practice of the positive youth development approach through implementation of 40 Developmental Asset framework within communities across the region. We will accomplish this goal by: Mission To use a positive youth development approach to build networks within each community and across the region that help decrease risk behaviors in youth and produce a healthier community. Vision A network of communities that welcome, value and empower youth through meaningful opportunities and collaborative efforts to support and strengthen youth assets and increase healthy decision making.