When young people reach middle and high school, they are making important discoveries about themselves and their place in their community. They are developing their identities.

The relationships and supports youth experience in their classrooms, programs, homes, and communities—external Developmental Assets—are key to developing a positive sense of identity, or self, which is an internal developmental asset.

Schools and programs can provide leadership for creating spaces where all young people—regardless of circumstances—are empowered to discover their best selves and make a positive impact on the world.

How can leaders and educators create fertile ground for young people’s positive identity development?

Positive Identity Development in Adolescence

Adolescence is a critical time for young people as they develop a sense of who they are in the world throughout the transition from childhood to adulthood. In middle and high school, they begin to consider questions such as

• Who am I? 
• How do I see myself?
• How do others see me? 
• Where do I fit into the world?
• What do I aspire to do?
• Who do I aspire to be?

They also begin to ponder whether others see them the same way that they see themselves. As young people grow and develop, they find their voices and become more involved in defining their futures. 

The Data on Identity

Extensive research has shown that internal and external assets support young people’s positive development. Young people need to believe in their own self-worth and to feel that they have control over the things that happen to them. These are important elements of positive identity, a key internal asset.

How do we know how young people are doing when it comes to developing a positive identity? Search Institute’s Developmental Assets Profile (DAP) measures the supports that young people experience internally and externally in their homes, schools, programs, and communities. 

The latest DAP aggregate report, based on surveys of 27,378 young people, conducted in schools and youth-serving organizations in the United States during the 2022-23 academic year, shows that we could be doing a lot more to support young people’s positive identity development.

The Many Dimensions of Identity

There are many layers to our identities—identities may be rooted in cultural heritage, gender, faith, personal talents, family values, and a number of other domains.  Navigating identity can be exciting and complex as young people have new experiences and build new relationships. 

However, positive identity formation is easier when young people have access to the Developmental Assets that help them succeed and thrive.

Our definition of positive identity, informed by research and practice, includes four key elements: self-esteem, a positive view of one’s future, personal power, and a sense of purpose.

Schools, programs, and communities can play an important role by creating equitable opportunities for positive identity development, especially by sharing power with young people and expanding possibilities in ways that inspire, broaden horizons, and connect youth to new people, places, and opportunities.

Supporting Positive Identity

It is hard to overstate the importance of Developmental Relationships when it comes to supporting positive identity development.

Developmental relationships are the close connections through which young people discover who they are, gain abilities to shape their own lives, and learn to interact with and contribute to the world around them.  

No one person can be all things to all young people. These relationships grow in the context of a larger web of relationships with parents, teachers, youth program leaders, coaches, clergy, and community members. 

A Sense of Power and Purpose

Young people thrive when they have a sense of control over the decisions that affect their lives. It supports their sense of agency and opens up opportunities to explore and discover new activities and passions.

The process of self-discovery also includes developing a sense of purpose—our forward-looking aims that align with our values and beliefs. A sense of purpose has been shown to be protective against negative psychological and behavioral issues, and it can be a source of resilience.

Equity and Positive Identity

In today’s world, the opportunities that young people have for exploring their identity are limited by factors such as economic inequality, racial and ethnic discrimination, and societal expectations. It’s not an even playing field. 

Not all young people experience opportunities to try new things, get involved in their community, or contribute to their education. These kinds of opportunities for exploration and discovery play a meaningful role in young peoples’ developing identity, but not everyone has access to them. It takes all of us to transform systems, policies, and practices so all our young people have what they need to support identity development.    

Finding Sparks

Sparks are the things that young people get really passionate or excited about, and they are an important facet of positive identity. When schools or programs are committed to equity and inclusion, more possibilities exist for young people to find and follow their passions or “sparks.”

Teachers, program leaders, coaches, and leaders can all become “spark champions” who watch and listen closely to young people when they show they care about something. A spark could be an academic subject, social justice activism, a sport, an art form, or a video game. Our job is to create space for young people to be able to discover and pursue the things that bring them joy.

If youth are still working to find their sparks, we can help by expanding opportunities and introducing them to new ideas, people, and places. 

Search Institute’s Resources Hub has many activities designed to help young people find their sparks and expand opportunities.

The Value of Measuring Positive Identity

The first step in creating a climate for positive identity development is listening to young people.

Schools and organizations around the world use Search Institute’s Developmental Assets Profile (DAP) as a measure of the strengths, supports, and social-emotional factors that impact young people. The DAP provides actionable data on what is present and what can be improved to help young people thrive.

The DAP is not a report to be put on a shelf; it provides actionable data and myriad discussion points that can be used to plan and include young people in the process. For example, one survey showed that more than 70% of young people identified depression and anxiety as a significant problem in their peer group. How does the community act to address such a major concern?

The DAP provides data on positive identity by exploring young people’s feelings of self-worth and control over the things that happen in their life.  

Including Young People in the Process

Data from measurements like the DAP is invaluable when it comes to the important steps of making meaning and taking action to create a better future for young people. 

Young people should be at the center of that process. They can help unpack the results of data and work with adults to become asset builders in their schools and communities. 

For instance, data from Search Institute’s most recent Developmental Assets Profile (DAP) show that male youth report higher self-esteem than female and gender nonbinary youth. That doesn’t mean that all boys and young men are okay, or that all girls, young women and gender-expansive youth are struggling. However, this data provides opportunities to reflect and discuss the issue with young people to learn more about what they are experiencing, how they interpret the data, and the actions they suggest for moving forward.

In Search Institute’s State of Developmental Assets webinar, Shaniqua Johnson-Pierce, Director of Student Success at United Way of Delaware, shared that “personal identity” was one of the lowest asset categories among the 8 schools that they surveyed. “Sometimes we don’t always know, if we’re not asking the right questions,” says Johnson-Pierce. 

To try to address this gap, Johnson-Pierce facilitated a poetry exercise, called “I Am…” for students to create poems to describe and process how they feel about themselves. “Race was mentioned in a lot of the poems,” she adds. “Students are very aware of how race plays a role in our society.” 

In Delaware, United Way is working closely with students to facilitate celebrations of culture: Black Student Summit and Latino Students Unidos Summit. Events like these are examples of building assets for individuals and communities.

Resources for Leaders and Educators

There are many resources available for youth-serving leaders, educators, and practitioners on this journey.

For an overall picture of how young people with higher levels of Developmental Assets are mentally and physically healthier, and often do better in school, Search Institute’s State of Developmental Assets Webinar explores the recent trends and insights shared by our CEO, Dr. Ben Houltberg and Senior Director of Research, Dr. Joanna Williams, we talk with special guest, Dr. Shaniqua Johnson-Pierce with United Way of Delaware about how they are using Developmental Assets to better understand and support young people. 

The Developmental Assets Profile (DAP) measures what young people need to thrive in their schools and communities. It provides valuable opportunities to include young people in the process of designing their futures.

Search Institute’s Resources Hub has resources, measurements, activities, and insights to help young people thrive.