Biography
Melissa S. Jones is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Brigham Young University. Her research focuses on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), developmental and life-course criminology, victimization, and the connections between childhood adversity, health, and behavioral outcomes. Much of her work examines how experiences early in life shape delinquency, violence, suicidality, and well-being during adolescence and into adulthood, as well as the factors that may protect youth from the consequences of adversity. Dr. Jones has published more than 50 peer-reviewed articles in top-tier journals including Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, Justice Quarterly, Journal of Health and Social Behavior, Social Problems, Journal of Youth and Adolescence, and Child Abuse & Neglect. In 2025, ScholarGPS ranked Dr. Jones #4 worldwide among scholars studying adverse childhood experiences and #17 worldwide in the field of childhood based on research productivity, impact, and quality over the previous five years.
Dr. Jones is also committed to mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in research, frequently collaborating with students on conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications. She teaches courses in criminology, juvenile delinquency, and quantitative research methods. She earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in Sociology from the University of Oklahoma and her B.S. in Sociology from Brigham Young University–Idaho.