Peter L. Benson, Ph.D.

Professional Overview


Peter L. Benson, president and CEO of Minneapolis-based Search Institute, is one of the world’s leading authorities on positive human development. He weaves together rigorous scholarship with a passionate commitment to understanding—and influencing—society to be more attentive to children and adolescents. His insight, vision, and passion have made him a widely sought speaker, writer, and consultant for major national and international events, organizations, and policy initiatives.

Dr. Benson is the author or editor of more than a dozen books on child and adolescent development and social change, including, most recently, Sparks: How Parents Can Help Ignite the Hidden Strengths of Teenagers (Jossey-Bass, 2008).

Dr. Benson’s international reputation in human development emerged in the 1990s through his innovative, research-based framework of Developmental Assets, the most widely recognized approach to positive youth development in the United States and, increasingly, around the world. His vision, research, and public voice have inspired a sea change in research, practice, and policy.

His work has inspired and guided more than 500 community-based initiatives in 45 states and every Canadian province, and on six continents. The approach has been embraced by most national youth-serving systems and is embedded in the curriculum in numerous colleges and universities. It influences state and national public policy in education, juvenile justice, public health, substance abuse prevention, and other youth-related fields.

Before joining Search Institute in 1978, Dr. Benson was chair of the psychology department and chair of the program in human development and social relations at Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana. He became Search Institute’s president in 1985.

Education

  • Ph.D. in social psychology, University of Denver, Colorado (1973)
  • M.A. in social psychology, University of Denver, Colorado (1972)
  • M.A. in psychology of religion, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (1970)
  • B.A. in psychology, Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois (1968)

Major Publications

Dr. Benson has published more than 50 articles in scientific journals, including Developmental Psychology, The Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Journal of Applied Social Psychology, Journal of Social Issues, The Journal of Primary Prevention, and Applied Developmental Science. He is the author or co-author of several books and other major publications, including:

  • Benson, P. L. (2008). Sparks: How Parents Can Help Ignite the Hidden Strengths of Teenagers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
  • Benson, P. L. (2006). All Kids Are Our kids: What Communities Must Do to Raise Caring and Responsible Children and Adolescents (rev. ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
  • Benson, P. L., Scales, P.C., Hamilton, S.F., & Sesma, A. Jr. (2006). “Positive Youth Development: Theory, Research, and Application. In W. W. Damon & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of Child Psychology, Volume 1, Theoretical Models of Human Development. New York: John Wiley.
  • Roehlkepartain, E. C ., King, P. E., Wagener, L. M., & Benson, P. L. (Eds.) (2006). Handbook of Spiritual Development in Childhood and Adolescence. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Benson, P. L., Mannes, M., Pittman, K., & Ferber, T. (2004). “Youth Development, Developmental Assets, and Public Policy. In R. M. Lerner & L. Steinberg (Eds.), Handbook of Adolescent Psychology (2nd ed., pp. 781-814). New York: John Wiley.
  • Lerner, R. M., & Benson, P. L. (2002). (Eds.). Developmental Assets and Asset-Building Communities: Implications for Research, Policy, and Practice. Norwell, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
  • Benson, P. L., & Pittman, K. (2001). (Eds.). Trends in Youth Development: Visions, Realities, and Challenges. Norwell, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
  • Benson, P. L. & McMillen, M. (1991). Private Schools in the United States: A Statistical Profile. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education
  • Benson, P., Williams, D., & Johnson, A. (1987). The Quicksilver Years: The Hopes and Fears of Young Adolescents. San Francisco: Harper & Row.
  • Benson, P. L., & Williams, D. L. (1982). Religion on Capitol Hill: Myths & Realities. San Francisco: Harper & Row.

Community and National Service

  • Presidents’ Summit for America’s Youth
    • Member, 7-person planning committee
    • National delegate to the Presidents’ Summit, Philadelphia, April, 1997
  • America’s Promise (General Colin Powell, chair)
    • Member, advisory committee (1999–)
    • Co-principal investigator, the national evaluation of America’s Promise (1999–2000)
  • Mentoring
    • Member, Advisory Committee, National Mentoring Partnership
  • Adolescent Health
    • Co-chair, task force on community development, Health Futures II (Annapolis, MD, 1998)
    • Member, national advisory committee, Adolescent Health Task Force of the American Medical Association (1999–)
    • Member, National League of Cities, Council on Youth, Education, and Families; Boston Mayor Tom Menino, chair (1999–2000)
    • Member, Expert Panel, Safe and Drug Free Schools Program, U.S. Department of Education (1998–1999)
    • Member, Lilly Endowment Youth and Caring Advisory Board (1995–1998)
    • Member, board of directors, Center for Early Adolescence, University of North Carolina (1991–1995)
  • Social Justice Organizations
    • Member, board of directors, Vesper Society, Oakland, CA (1994–1998)
    • Member, board of directors, Center for the Victims of Torture, Minneapolis, MN (1996–)
    • Chair, Program Committee, Center for the Victims of Torture, Minneapolis, MN (1997–1998)
    • Member, board of directors, InterRace, Minneapolis, MN
    • Community-Building Initiatives
    • Member, executive committee, Children First, St. Louis Park, MN (1994–)
    • Member, executive committee, Minneapolis Promise for Youth (1997–)
    • Member, advisory board, Minnesota Promise for Youth
  • Local and Regional Organizations
    • Board president, Inner-City Tennis, Minneapolis, MN (1998)
    • Member, advisory board, Minnesota Consortium for Children, Youth, and Family (1998–)
    • Member, advisory board, the Konopka Institute for Youth Development, University of Minnesota (1998–)
    • Member, New Work Force Task Force, City of Minneapolis (1998–)
    • Member, advisory board, Youth and Family Institute, Augsburg College (1992–1999)

Awards and Honors

  • Named to Fellow status, American Psychological Association, 1993
  • Phi Beta Kappa
  • Omicron Delta Kappa
  • Augustana College Scholar-Athlete Award, 1968
  • Paul Harris Fellow, Rotary International
  • Adoption Educator of the Year, 1997 (Adoption Options, Cincinnati, Ohio)
  • Athena Award for Excellence in Mentoring, Mentoring Newsletter
  • William James Award, American Psychological Association, 1991
  • Crazy Horse Leadership Award, Black Hills Seminars, 1998 (award conferred in a traditional Lakota ceremony)

Media Coverage

  • Time
  • Newsweek
  • U.S. News and World Report
  • Christian Science Monitor
  • Washington Post
  • Los Angeles Times
  • New York Times
  • Youth Today
  • Minneapolis Star Tribune
  • Network television affiliates in New York; Washington, D.C.; San Francisco; Seattle; and Minneapolis
  • Minnesota Public Radio Network
  • Wisconsin Public Radio Network

Professional Memberships

  • American Psychological Association
  • American Educational Research Association
  • Society for Research on Adolescence
  • Society for the Scientific Study of Religion
  • Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues