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Developing character strengths in children and adolescents is important to parents and educators around the world, as they try their best to recognize and foster the strengths and interests of their children.
Parenting can be a challenge that involves being a role model to help their children identify the good from the bad and to teach them to channel their strengths into something productive and fulfilling.
Interest in child development has been a significant part of psychology in the last 100 years. With the classification of character strengths and virtues within positive psychology, there has been an interest in identifying, embracing and cultivating these strengths in children to prevent depression throughout the lifespan.
Character strengths are the subset of personality traits that are morally valued. – Gillham, et al. (2011)
Development of Character Strengths in Children
Peterson and Seligman’s (2004), Character Strengths in Action: handbook and classification, published their theoretical speculation that it is not common for some young children to demonstrate gratitude, open-mindedness, authenticity, and forgiveness.
Park and Peterson’s (2006) study confirmed this theoretical speculation, concluding that these sophisticated character strengths usually require a degree of cognitive maturation that develops during adolescence.
So although gratitude is associated with happiness in adolescents and adulthood, this is not the case in young children. Park and Peterson (2006) study found that the association of gratitude with happiness starts at age seven.
“Gratitude is seen as a human strength that enhances one’s personal and relational well-being and is beneficial for society as a whole” – Simmel (1950).
Although most young children are not cognitively mature enough for sophisticated character strengths, there are many fundamental character strengths that are developed at a very early stage. The strengths of love, zest, and hope are associated with happiness starting at a very young age.
The strengths of love and hope are dependent on the infant and caregiver relationship (Bowlby, 1969). A secure attachment to the caregiver at infancy is more likely to result in psychological and social well adjustment throughout their lives (Kochanska, 2001).
It is known that the nurturing of children plays a significant part of development, being a role model in an important aspect of teaching a child certain character strengths as they imitate the behavior, to then embrace the strength as one of their own.
Character strengths are influenced by family, community, societal, and other contextual factors. At least in theory, character strengths are malleable; they can be taught and acquired through practice. – Gillham, et al. (2011)
Character Strengths and well-being in Adolescents
The majority of the research today on character strengths focuses on adults, despite the known importance of childhood and adolescence on personal developmental character (Gillham et al., 2011., Park & Peterson, 2006, b.) However, there has been research into which character strengths promotes positive development and prevents psychopathology.
Dahlsgaard (2005), Park, and Peterson (2006, b) discovered that adolescents with higher levels of zest, hope, and leadership displayed lower levels of anxiety and depression in comparison to their peers with lower levels of these strengths. Gillham et al. (2011) research findings suggested that adolescent character strength contribute to well-being.
The research suggested that transcendence (eg. gratitude, meaning, and hope) predict life satisfaction, concluding in the importance for adolescents to develop positive relationships and to have a sense of purpose and dreams.
Conclusion
Being a positive role model for children is important to the development of their character strengths.
Most young children don’t have the cognitive maturity to display gratitude but have the ability to display love and hope. Therefore gratitude must not be expected from a young child but must be taught.
That is why mums always reminds their young ones to say ‘thank you’. “It takes a village to raise a child” – all external influences impact children, including community and society.
That is why positive education programs have been developed helped children and adolescents focus on character strengths. There are certain character strengths in adolescents that have a clearer impact on psychological well-being. These strengths must be fostered to ensure life long fulfilment and and satisfaction.
VIA Character Strengths Youth Survey
Parents, educators, and researchers have requested the VIA: institute on character strengths to develop a VIA survey that is especially aimed at youths. Take the VIA psychometric data – youth survey if you are between the ages of 10-17!
References
Bowlby, J.: 1969, Attachment and Loss, (Vol. I). Attachment (Basic Books, New York).
Dahlsgaard, K.K. (2005). Is virtue more than its own reward? Character strengths and their relation to well-being in a prospective, longitudinal study of middle school-aged adolescents (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
Gillham, J., Adams-Deutsch, Z., Werner, J., Reivich, K., Coulter-Heindl, V., Linkins, M., … & Seligman, M. E. (2011). Character strengths predict subjective well-being during adolescence. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 6(1), 31-44.
Kochanska, G.: 2001, _ Emotional development in children with different attachment histories: The first three years_ , Developmental Psychology 72, pp. 474–490.
McCullough, M. E., Kilpatrick, S. D., Emmons, R. A., & Larson, D. B. (2001). Is gratitude a moral affect? Psychological Bulletin, 127, 249−266.
Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. (2004). Character strengths and virtues a handbook and classification. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2006, a). Character strengths and happiness among young children: Content analysis of parental descriptions. Journal of Happiness Studies, 7(3), 323-341.
Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2006, b). Moral competence and character strengths among adolescents: The development and validation of the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths for Youth. Journal of adolescence, 29(6), 891-909.
Simmel, G. (1950). The sociology of Georg Simmel. Glencoe, IL: Free Press.
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