| Purpose : |
This initiative will address risk factors among urban Aboriginal youth at risk of joining gangs through the implementation of an asset-based approach. To ensure applicability to Aboriginal youth, The Search Institutes' 40 Development Assets Model will be integrated within the Aboriginal medicine wheel. The project will then strengthen assets in the four key directions of the medicine wheel: mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual. This approach will build resiliency among participants by improving internal assets, such as interpersonal competence and positive identity, external assets, such as conflict resolution and planning and decision making skills, a connection to culture, and access to recreational activities. While not all of the 40 Developmental Assets will be addressed, the project will focus on those most closely aligned with the risk factors that make youth vulnerable to joining gangs.
The Developmental Assets Model was chosen because of its success in reducing risk factors among Aboriginal youth. For example, one research study showed correlations indicating that the higher the levels of developmental assets that an Aboriginal youth has, the less likely they are to become involved in risk taking behaviour and the more likely they are to make positive decisions. Another research study, which was conducted on 13 community based programs in Oklahoma focusing on the utilization of nine assets in programming (family communication, peer role models, future aspirations, responsible choices, community involvement, non-parental role models, group sports, religious time, and cultural respect) indicated that Aboriginal youth lacking a specific asset were at significantly greater risk for one or more of the risk behaviours, such as violence and drug use.
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