Table 1.

40 Developmental assets for adolescents (12–18 years of age)[33]

External assets		Internal assets
Support boundaries and expectations	Empowerment constructive use of time	Commitment to learning positive identity	Positive values
Family support: Family life provides high levels of love and support	Service to others: Young person serves in the community one hour or more a week.	Equality and social justice: Young person places high value on promoting equality and reducing hunger and poverty.	Positive view of personal future: Young person is optimistic about her personal future.
Positive family communication: Young person and her parent(s) communicate positively, and young person is willing to seek advice and counsel from parents.	Other adult relationships: Young person receives support from three or more nonparent adults	Integrity: Young person acts on convictions and stands up for her or beliefs.	Restraint: Young person believes it is important not to be sexually active or to use alcohol or other drugs.
School boundaries: School provides clear rules and consequences.	Safety: Young person feels safe at home, school and in the neighbourhood.	Homework: Young person reports doing at least one hour of homework every school day.	Achievement motivation: Young person is motivated to do well in school.
Parent involvement in schooling: Parent(s) are actively involved in helping the child succeed in school.	Adult role models: Parent(s) and other adults model positive, responsible behaviour.	School engagement: Young person is actively engaged in learning.	Planning and decision making: Young person knows how to plan ahead and make choices.
Creative activities: Young person spends three or more hours per week in lessons or practice in music, theatre, or other arts.	Religious community: Young person spends one hour or more per week in activities in a religious institution.	Bonding to school: Young person cares about her school.	Reading for pleasure: Young person reads for pleasure three or more hours per week.
High expectations: Both parent(s) and teachers encourage the young person to do well.	Positive peer influence: Young person’s best friends model responsible behaviour.	Caring: Young person places high value on helping others.	Honesty: Young person “tells the truth even when it is not easy”.
Youth as resources: Young people are given useful roles in the community.	Youth programs: Young person spends three or more hours per week in sports, clubs, or organizations at school and/or in the community	Interpersonal competence: Young person has empathy, sensitivity and friendship skills.	Cultural competence: Young person has knowledge of and comfort with people of different cultural/racial /ethnic backgrounds.
Family boundaries: Family has clear rules and consequences and monitors the young person’s whereabouts.	Neighbourhood boundaries: Neighbours take responsibility for monitoring young person’s behaviour.	Personal power: Young person feels she had control over “things that happen to me”.	Sense of purpose: Young person reports that “my life has a purpose”.
Caring school climate: School provides a caring, encouraging environment.	Community values youth: Young person perceives that adults in the community value youth.	Responsibility: Young person accepts and takes personal responsibility.	Peaceful conflict resolution: Young person seeks to resolve conflict nonviolently.
Caring neighbourhood: Young person experiences caring neighbourhoods.	Time at home: Young person is out with friends “with nothing special to do” two or fewer nights per week.	Self-esteem: Young person reports having high self-esteem.	Resistance skills: Young person can resist negative peer pressure and dangerous situations.