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

by Peter C. Scales, Nancy Leffert

This volume 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.

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Leanna Aker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great analysis of other research studies concerning the social, emotional, and academic health of adolescents. For those teachers that shy away from the emotional aspects of student development, this book provides sound and thoughtful analysis of almost 800 scientific studies of these types of things. And they HONESTLY evaluate the research, asking questions like "what is missing in our definition and analysis of "self-esteem?""

The Institute that did this metaanalysis proposes 40 developmental assets that are responsible for a teenager's future success and resiliency.

This is a great read for anyone who works with adolescents.