Studies of more than 2.2 million young people in the United States consistently show that the more assets young people have, the less likely they are to engage in a wide range of high-risk behaviors and the more likely they are to thrive. Assets have power for all young people, regardless of their gender, economic status, family, or race/ethnicity. Furthermore, levels of assets are better predictors of high-risk involvement and thriving than poverty or being from a single-parent family.  Listed below are the 40  Assets.  For more information on the 40 Developmental Assets, visit www.search-institute.org.

External Assets
Support
1. Family Support: Family life provides high levels of love and support.
2. Positive Family Communication: Young person and her or his parent(s) communicate positively, and young person is willing to seek advice and counsel from parents.
3. Other Adult Relationships: Young person receives support from three or more nonparent adults.
4. Caring Neighborhood: Young person 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.

Empowerment
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, school, and in the neighborhood.

Boundaries and Expectations
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 people's behavior.
14. Adult Role Models: Parent(s) and other adults model positive, responsible 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.

Constructive Use of Time
17. Creative Activities: Young person spends three or more hours per week in lessons or practice in music, theater, or other arts.
18. Youth Programs: Young person spends three or more hours per week in sports, clubs, or organizations at school and/or in 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 special to do" two or fewer nights per week.

Internal Assets
Commitment to Learning
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 her or his school.
25. Reading for Pleasure: Young person reads for pleasure three or more hours per week.

Positive Values
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 and poverty.
28. Integrity: Young person acts on convictions and stands up for her or his 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.

Social Competence
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 and comfort with people of different cultural/racial/ethnic backgrounds.
35. Resistance Skills: Young person can resist negative peer pressure and dangerous situations.
36. Peaceful Conflict Resolution: Young person seeks to resolve conflict nonviolently.

Positive Identity
37. Personal Power: Young person feels he or she has control over "things that happen to me."
38. Self-Esteem: Young person reports having a high self-esteem.
39. Sense of Purpose: Young person reports that "my life has a purpose."
40. Positive View of Personal Future: Young person is optimistic about her or his personal future.