Bad Kids Come to Be

¶ … bad kids come to be just that, good or bad. Studies have shown that there are certain things that kids who can be classified as good all seem to have in common; unfortunately, there are also common denominators for kids considered to be bad. This report attempts to show how and why this type of research is so important.

Based on statistics and the media, it is my good fortune that I am not a black male between the ages of eight and twenty five living in the city of Los Angeles. It is not that I have something against this statistical grouping; in fact, I think the world is made up of all kinds and everyone should have an opportunity to excel in this great nation.

The problem is that this statistical subset is living in the primary recruiting proximity for some of the toughest teen gangs in the world. A large number of violent crimes can be directly traced to these modern-day gangs such as the Bloods and the Crips. The city of Los Angeles feels it has done all it can to prevent their youth, America's youth, from be sucked into this dead end life style.

The city has publicly cried out for help from the likes of teachers, guidance counselors, social workers and of course parents. But none of this seems to have worked in Los Angeles because students and dropouts alike still join gangs by the thousands and the dangers of joining a gang is falling on deaf ears. but, are only black kids a problem? Apparently Columbine High School demonstrates that violence and bad kids are not affiliated to any particular race. The Trench Coat Mafia was white as the Colorado snow.

And just yesterday an Indian boy shot up a school in Minnesota after killing his grandparents. This report aims to present a solution for these types of problems - the solution can be found in developmental assets. Assets There have been many studies conducted throughout history to try to find the key or the catalyst that change all kids into either good or bad kids.

"We concentrate on alcohol and other drug abuse prevention, largely because of the funding that schools receive from the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities program and because of public opinion polls that consistently rank drug abuse near the top of local school problems." (Rose, Gallup, and Elam 1997) Until very recently, the consensus was that this phenomenon was a completely random issue or a completely natural process contained in some brain cell or DNA strand.

but, it has been discovered that there may be specific reasons why some kids get involved in dangerous activities and others become contributing members of society. Life presents us with many challenges. Some scientists believe that there are just too many random things that we humans face to ever pinpoint any one specific factor that clearly influences our adolescents to be either good or bad.

Consider that the world has become a global market place that have changed the prestige of our nation, bills, school, genetics, trauma, and a thousand other scenarios all play a role in who kids become. The key with these factors of course is that they are all external and very difficult if not impossible to alter for the majority of us.

Thus, when a Minneapolis, Minnesota research firm called Search Institute defined forty assets that can positively dictate if a child was going to be good or bad, it seemed unlikely to be true. "This research identified 40 concrete, positive experiences and qualities -"developmental assets"- that have a tremendous influence on young peoples' lives.

and, they are things that people from all walks of life can help to nurture." (Kids Matter, 2005) Search Institute Search Institute believes that they may have solved one of man's great mysteries and they are convinced that their research is the real deal. "Search Institute, a private, not-for-profit organization based in Minneapolis that conducts research on children, youth, and families, has found much the same results in its research over the last decade, collectively involving more than one million sixth through twelfth graders in more than 1,000 U.S.

communities." (Search Institute, 1997) the organization has for decades been conducting surveys of students throughout the United States and has identified forty specific developmental assets. These developmental assets seem to represent the foundation of what defines either a positive or negative path for any child.

"Developmental assets help children and youth not only survive, but thrive and move closer to achieving their full human potential." (Search Institute, 1997) as presented on the kids Matters web page, the forty assets are broken down into 8 categories: Support - Young people need to experience support, care, and love from their families and many others. The need organizations and institutions that provide positive, supportive environments Empowerment - Young people need to be valued by their community and have opportunities to contribute to others.

For this to occur, they must be safe and feel secure.

Boundaries and expectations - Young people need to know what is expected of them and whether activities and behaviors are "in bounds" or "out of bounds" Constructive Use of Time - Young people need constructive, enriching opportunities for growth through creative activities, youth programs, congregational involvement, and quality time at home Commitment to learning - Young people need to develop a lifelong commitment to education and learning Positive Values - Youth need to develop strong values that guide their choices Social Competencies - Young people need skills and competencies that equip them to make positive choices, build relationships, and to succeed in life Positive identity - Young people need a strong sense of their own power, purpose, worth and promise The forty assets are a supposed to be a reflection of the various relationships and opportunities young people are subjected to.

For example, if a child enjoys school, parental support, high expectations from peers and mentors, and participation in extra curricular activities, that child has a far greater chance of being what society deems as a good student and subsequently a good kid.

Some of the assets are measures of internal or self-motivating factors in children and they are able to measure and provide insights into a child's self-worth or self-perceptions, inner values, and personal skills needed to develop in a normal manner, "to guide themselves -- for example, achievement motivation, behavioral restraint, good planning and decision-making skills, and skills to resist pressure." (Search Institute, 1997) Search institute does seem to be on to something because they seem to have found a common thread between racial or ethnic groupings in regard to the topic at hand.

In studies of six racial/ethnic groups of students (white, Asian-American, African-American, Latino, Native American, and multiracial), we have found that the more of the forty assets youths have, the more protected they are from various forms of health risk and the more they exhibit positive signs of thriving. (Benson et al. 1999) Application The asset studies were a very reliable predictor of a student's school attendance and even the potential dropout rate according to the researchers. That means there is a clear message for educators.

Teach the forty assets and we can have better kids. It is one thing to know about the 40 assets and a totally different thing to apply these forty assets the perspective of a teacher or counselor. We now know that of the forty assets, there is an inherent weighting system and some assets play a bigger role than do some of the others.

For example, kids who excel are kids that spend time in organized after-school programs, feel comfortable with different races, feel good about themselves and have good planning and decision-making skills. So, educators are rarely if ever in a position to directly provide some of the higher leveled of the assets. With that being said, counselors and educators should focus on the specific assets that can direct. Although these are a smaller number of the assets, they nonetheless will help promote a student's health and/or academic success.

As demonstrated below, the research shows that only eight (8) percent of students meet.