What if we could wave a magic wand and keep kids from growing into violent adults?
In a way, we can. By building “developmental assets” into children’s development, we give them the ability to handle life’s frustrations, aggravations and disappointments – feelings that can turn into violence – for the rest of their lives.
Midland County, Michigan, has been waving such a wand for 14 years. Since 2006, the county has made considerable efforts to bring the 40 Developmental Assets identified by Search Institute to their community’s kids. And this wand is working as well as Cinderella’s fairy godmother’s wand ever did.
We use the 40 Developmental Assets framework here at Sheltering Wings, too. We know that youth with a higher number of positive developmental assets are much less likely to engage in risky behaviors and much more likely to engage in positive behaviors while they’re young as well as when they become adults.
Why is this so important to us here at Sheltering Wings? Because assets can prevent violence.
Here’s what has happened in Michigan. In 2006, Midland County decided to begin embedding life skills and developmental assets into all Midland County Public Schools for grades six to 12. The Legacy Center for Youth Success conducted a benchmarking study in 2006, then a study in 2011 and 2016 to measure progress.
What they saw is startling.
From 2006 to 2016, youth reported these increases:
… and the following decreases from 2011 to 2016:
“Our efforts are paying off! Assets have increased, risk-taking behaviors have decreased. The Developmental Assets concept is firmly embedded in our community, and we are continuing to make progress,” concluded the report.
Yale School of Medicine faculty member Bandy X. Lee, MD, MDiv, was project group leader for the Violence Prevention Alliance of the World Health Organization. In her book, Violence: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Causes, Consequences, and Cures, Dr. Lee points out the mountains of global evidence showing that violence is, in fact, preventable:
“We have vastly grown in our awareness that violence is preventable, and that prevention is far more effective than intervention at a later stage. … Developing life skills in children and adolescents can prevent youth violence. Evidence shows that social, emotional, and behavioral skills acquired in social development programs can help children and adolescents deal effectively with the challenges of life … prevent involvement in violence, improve social skills, boost educational achievement, and improve job prospects.”
Prevention works
Children can gain access to many assets at school, at church, on athletic fields and by participating in places like Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCAs and after-school programs. But when they go home to violence between parents or toward a parent, they don’t see what they’ve learned reinforced.
That’s why we spend so much time at Sheltering Wings helping residents of every age by instilling Developmental Assets. The more we can reduce the risk of violent behavior in children, the more we can reduce the likelihood of domestic violence in adults.
We invite you to learn more about the assets and how to build them in the lives of the young people you know.
