School Security Measures: Does the Type or Amount Reduce Violence and Crime?

• In Event: 34.087 - Evidence for Practices to Improve School Climate and Safety

Abstract

Schools increasingly turn to security measures to provide safety and security to students. These measures share many similarities with the criminal justice system. The increased implementation of these measures led researchers to declare school security a criminalized process. A significant body of literature examines the effects of security on incidents of violence and crime at school but less is known about how the number of security measures instituted affects reported incidents. We utilize a nationally representative dataset to explore the association between type and amount of security measures and violence and crime incidents. Results show that very few types of security measures decreased incident reports, while using between two to four methods may actually reduce reports of violence and crime.

Authors

• Ryan Kapa, The Ohio State University

• Belinda Gimbert, The Ohio State University