Robert Coles

Robert Coles (born 1929) is an American psychiatrist, social critic, and author whose work explores the moral and social lives of children and families. Trained in medicine and psychiatry, he became widely known for *Children of Crisis*, a multi-volume study of children growing up amid poverty, segregation, and social upheaval in the United States. Coles has also written influential books on ethical development, including *The Moral Life of Children*. He taught for many years at Harvard University, where he was a professor and wrote across disciplines, blending clinical insight with narrative reporting. His writing is noted for its attention to individual voices and lived experience.