Developmental Asset Message of the Week - Integrity

67% OF MIDDLETOWN YOUTH REPORT THAT THEY ACT ON THEIR CONVICTIONS AND STAND UP FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVE IS RIGHT

Do the children in your life act on her or his convictions and stand up for her or his beliefs? Having integrity can take a long time to learn, but the more a child practices this, the more likely she or he will develop this crucial value.

Talk to kids about what integrity means, and what it means to stand up for your own values. Ask them who they see as having a sense of integrity, and who they think backs down from their values in the face of adversity.

Applaud and support family members when they “do the right thing, even when it’s hard.” Maybe your child stepped in when another child was being teased. Or maybe your child admitted to cheating on a test—even though she knows the entire class cheated and she was the only one who got into trouble for her honesty.

Having values doesn’t mean much if you can’t stand up for them—an important lesson to impart upon children. Everyone’s values and beliefs are tested at some point in their lives, and it takes strong conviction to stand up for them in the face of adversity. Help children prepare for these times by encouraging them to have integrity, and set a good example by standing by your own beliefs, even when it’s hard.

Conversation Starters on Integrity:
• What does integrity mean to our family?
• When is it easy to act on your beliefs? When is it difficult? Why?
• What happened the last time you stood up for or spoke out about what you value? How did it make you feel?

Just recently we posted something on our blog about integrity, coaching, and high school sports which you can find HERE. 

Further Research
"One cannot have integrity without also displaying a measure of honesty,” says Stephen L. Carter in his book Integrity. Yet, he contends that integrity is more difficult than just being honest. Carter’s three steps of integrity are:

1. Take time to discern right from wrong.What do you believe? What do you value?
2. Get involved in what you believe and value. Do something about it.
3. Admit publicly what you believe and value while acting on what you say.

...“Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.” 
~Spencer Johnson 

"Integrity is what we do, what we say, and what we say we do.” 
~Don Galer 

For more information on Developmental Assets, visit http://www.search-institute.org/ and don't forget to also visit Middletown's own http://www.assetpromise.org/ to make your promise to support our youth. Survey data above was taken from the 2006 Search Institute Profiles on Student Life administered to Middletown public school students in grades 7-12.