Do Interactions With School Resource Officers Predict Students' Likelihood of Being Disciplined and Feelings of Safety? Mixed-Methods Evidence From Two School Districts. (June 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Curran, F. Chris; Viano, Samantha; Kupchik, Aaron; Fisher, Benjamin W.
• Is Part Of: Educational evaluation and policy analysis. Volume 43:Number 2(2021)
• Page Start: 200
• Page End: 232
• Publication Date: 2021-06
• Subjects: educational policy -- elementary schools -- law/legal -- policy -- student behavior/attitude -- violence -- mixed methods -- regression analyses -- survey research -- in-depth interviewing -- focus group interviews; Education -- Evaluation -- Research -- United States -- Periodicals; Education -- Research -- United States -- Periodicals; 370.7
• DOI: 10.3102/0162373720985904
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0162-3737

Abstract

School resource officers (SROs) are common in schools, yet consequences of their presence are poorly understood. This study leveraged mixed-methods data from student surveys and group interviews across 25 schools to examine how the frequency of interactions and trust/comfort between students and SROs relate to disciplinary outcomes and feelings of safety. We found no evidence that, in this context, more frequent interactions or differing trust/comfort with SROs increased disciplinary consequences, perhaps because, as students report, SROs tended to not engage in formal discipline. We found that, although SROs were seen as increasing safety, interactions with SROs may have heightened students' sense of danger, potentially mitigating any benefit to students' overall feelings of safety. Implications for use of SROs are discussed.