Search Institute has identified the following building blocks of healthy development that help young people grow up healthy, caring, and responsible.
| Support |
- Family support-Family life provides high levels of love and support.
- Positive family communication-Young person and her or his parent(s) communicate positively, and young person is willing to seek advice and counsel from parent(s).
- Other Adult relationships-Young person receives support from three or more nonparent adults.
- Caring neighborhood-Young person experiences caring neighbors.
- Caring school climate-School provides a caring, encouraging environment.
- Parent involvement in schooling-Parent(s) are actively involved in helping young person succeed in school.
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| Empowerment |
- Community values youth-Young person perceives that adults in the community value youth.
- Youth as resources-Young people are given useful roles in the community.
- Service to others-Young person serves in the community one hour or more per week.
- Safety-Young person feels safe at home, at school, and in the neighborhood.
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| Boundaries & Expectations |
- Family boundaries-Family has clear rules and consequences and monitors the young person's whereabouts.
- School boundaries-School provides clear rules and consequences.
- Neighborhood boundaries-Neighbors take responsibility for monitoring young people's behavior.
- Adult role models-Parent(s) and other adults model positive, responsible behavior.
- Positive peer influence-Young person's best friends model responsible behavior.
- High expectations-Both parent(s) and teachers encourage the young person to do well.
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| Constructive Use of Time |
- Creative activities-Young person spends three or more hours per week in lessons or practice in music, theater, or other arts.
- Youth programs-Young person spends three or more hours per week in sports, clubs, or organizations at school and/or in the community.
- Religious community-Young person spends three or more hours per week in activities in a religious institution.
- Time at home-Young person is out with friends "with nothing special to do" two or fewer nights per week.
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| Commitment to Learning |
- Achievement motivation-Young person is motivated to do well in school.
- School engagement-Young person is actively engaged in learning.
- Homework-Young person reports doing at least one hour of homework every school day.
- Bonding to school-Young person cares about his or her school.
- Reading for pleasure-Young person reads for pleasure three or more hours per week.
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| Positive Values |
- Caring-Young person places high value on helping other people.
- Equality and social justice-Young person places high value on promoting equality and reducing hunger and poverty.
- Integrity-Young person acts on convictions and stands up for his or her beliefs.
- Honesty-Young person "tells the truth even when it is not easy."
- Responsibility-Young person accepts and takes personal responsibility
- Restraint-Young person believes it is important not to be sexually active or to use alcohol or other drugs.
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| Social Competencies |
- Planning and decision making-Young person knows how to plan ahead and make choices.
- 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.
- Resistance skills-Young person can resist negative peer pressure and dangerous situations.
- Peaceful conflict resolution-Young person seeks to resolve conflict nonviolently.
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| Positive Identity |
- Personal power-Young person feels he or she has control over "things that happen to me."
- Self-esteem-Young person reports having a high self-esteem.
- Sense of purpose-Young person reports that "my life has a purpose."
- Positive view of personal future-Young person is optimistic about her or his personal future.
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