Peter C. Scales, Ph.D. - Senior Fellow

Professional Expertise

Dr. Scales is a developmental psychologist, author, speaker, and researcher who is widely recognized as one of the nation’s foremost authorities on children, youth, and families. Specifically, his expertise lies in:

  • Adolescent development
  • Family life
  • Effective schools
  • Healthy communities

Contributions to Search Institute

Dr. Scales conducts research; provides consultation on youth development to schools, youth-serving organizations, and governmental agencies, among others; delivers conference keynote addresses; and publishes widely on youth development and family relations.

Major Publications

Dr. Scales serves on the editorial board for Middle School Journal and Child Welfare and has published more than 200 articles in scientific and practitioner journals, such as the Journal of Early Adolescence, Applied Developmental Science, Youth Policy, Journal of Health Education, American School Board Journal, and the Journal of School Health. Other publications include:

  • Co-author, Coming into Their Own: How Developmental Assets Promote Positive Growth in Middle Childhood (Search Institute, 2003)
  • Co-author, Other People’s Kids: Social Expectations and American Adults’ Involvement with Children and Adolescents (Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 2003)
  • Co-author, Grading Grown-Ups: American Adults Report on Their Real Relationships with Kids (Search Institute, 2001)
  • Co-author, Great Places to Learn: How Asset-Building Schools Help Students Succeed (Search Institute, 1999)
  • Co-author, A Fragile Foundation: The State of Developmental Assets among American Youth (Search Institute, 1999)
  • Co-author, Developmental Assets: A Synthesis of the Scientific Research on Adolescent Development (Search Institute, 1999)
  • Boxed In and Bored: How Middle Schools Continue to Fail Young Adolescents—and What Good Middle Schools Do Right (Search Institute, 1996)
  • Co-author, Youth Development in Congregations: An Exploration of the Potential and Barriers (Search Institute, 1995)
  • Co-author, Growing Pains: The Making of America’s Middle School Teachers (National Middle School Association, 1994)
  • A Portrait of Young Adolescents in the 1990s (Search Institute/Center for Early Adolescence, 1991)
  • The Front Lines of Sexuality Education (Network Publications, 1984)
  • Co-author, The Sexual Adolescent: Communicating with Teenagers About Sex (Duxbury Press, 1979)

Professional History

In addition to his work with Search Institute, Dr. Scales is an adjunct professor of psychology at Saint Louis University. Before joining Search Institute in 1995, Dr. Scales was director of national initiatives for the Center for Early Adolescence, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Former positions include:

  • Chair, Alaska Governor’s Commission on Children and Youth
  • Director, Anchorage Center for Families
  • Director of education, Planned Parenthood Federation of America
  • Director, Colorado Adolescent Health Task Force
  • Senior social scientist, Mathtech, Inc.
  • Research director, Syracuse University’s Institute for Family Research and Education

Education

  • Ph.D. and M.S. in child development and family relations, Syracuse University
  • B.A. in psychology, Syracuse University

Awards and Honors

  • Hedley S. Dimock Award—presented annually by the American Camping Association to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to youth development from a field related to outdoor programs (1997)
  • Alaska State Legislature Citation—honoring contribution on Governor’s Interim Commission on Children and Youth (1989)
  • Educational Press Association of America Award for Excellence in Educational Journalism—honoring contribution to “Sexuality Education” issue of Educational Theory into Practice (1989)
  • Arctic Alliance for People Public Service Award—awarded to members of the Governor’s Interim Commission on Children and Youth in Alaska (1988)
  • U.S. Administration for Children, Youth and Families Commissioner Award—honoring “exceptional efforts to prevent child abuse, and a spirit which is an inspiration to others” (1988)

Media Coverage

Print and electronic coverage in the New York Times, Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, Glamour, Seventeen, and numerous other national publications; appearances on radio and television in more than 100 U.S. cities, including appearances on Good Morning America.