City of Alexandria, Virginia
Office of the City Manager
Alexandria City Hall
301 King Street, Suite 3500
Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3211
www.alexandriava.gov
Telephone: 703.838.4300
Fax : 703.838.6343

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2001
CONTACT: BARBARA HUNTER, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, ALEXANDRIA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, (703) 824-6635
OR
LORI GODWIN, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, (703) 838-4300

Alexandria Youth Report Strengths, Weaknesses in Critical Assets


Alexandria, Va.--In a new survey released to the public today, Alexandria youth in grades 6 to12 reported having nearly half the developmental assets judged to be the necessary building blocks for children to grow up to be competent, caring, and healthy adults.
More than 3,700 students in Alexandria’s public schools and in St. Stephens and St. Agnes School completed the survey, which was carried out by the Minneapolis-based Search Institute last December.
"The City now has a clear snapshot of the areas where the majority of our youth need support and where they have considerable strengths," said Mayor Kerry Donley, chair of the City’s Youth Policy Commission, which sponsored the survey. "Now our community needs to begin a thoughtful dialogue about how to address the areas where our youth need more assets."
Developmental assets on which the youth were surveyed are grouped into 20 external and 20 internal assets. External assets are positive developmental experiences that surround youth with support, empowerment, boundaries and expectations, and opportunities for constructive use of time. Internal assets are the young person’s own commitments, values, and competencies. These 40 assets are grouped into eight categories: support from families and others; empowerment and opportunity to contribute; boundaries and expectations; constructive use of time; commitment to learning; positive values; skills to make positive choices; and positive identity. The more assets young people have, the more protected they are from risky behaviors and the more supported they are with positive societal values. The developmental asset framework is based on years of scientific inquiry into risk and resiliency factors, as well as normal developmental processes.
Alexandria youth reported having an average of 19.5 assets; ideally, all youth should experience 31 to 40 of these assets, according to the Search Institute.
In the area of external assets, having family support was reported by 69 percent of youth; experiencing positive peer influence was reported by 67 percent; and having parents and teachers who encourage young people to do well was reported by 57 percent. However, only 22 percent of youth reported engaging in creative activities; 22 percent reported feeling that their community values youth; and 27 percent reported feeling that there were opportunities to serve as a resource in their community.
In the survey section on internal assets, 75 percent reported having a positive view of their personal future; 71 percent said they felt motivated to achieve; 70 percent believe they possess integrity; and 63 percent reported placing a high value on promoting equality and reducing hunger and poverty. However, only 24 percent reported that they read for pleasure; 32 percent said they have planning and decision-making skills; and 41 percent felt they had personal power.
The developmental asset model emphasizes that the responsibility for delivering these assets to youth lies with the entire community. This includes parents and families, schools, government, the faith community, neighborhoods, private organizations, and youth themselves. Simple steps, such as acknowledging and greeting a young person when you pass them on the street, can help convey a message that the adults in the community care about the young people.
The full report and/or executive summary of "Developmental Assets: A Profile of Alexandria’s Youth" is available upon request from the City’s Department of Human Services, Office of Youth Services, at 703-838-0990.
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