Deterrence or Detection: The Impact of Situational Crime Prevention on Drug Offenses in Schools

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of crime prevention policies in schools. There is a lack of research addressing the effectiveness of situational crime prevention within a school setting and an even greater absence of drug research in schools. Using situational crime prevention as a framework this study seeks to assess whether these school policies increase or decrease drug related incidents. The frequency of drug use among adolescents is alarming and it is important to establish if schools can prevent drug related incidents on their premises. This question will be addressed using data from the 2006 School Survey on Crime and Safety, which provides nationally representative data on school policies and student behavior. Policies that will be evaluated include random drug testing, random drug sniffing dog checks, book bag policies, providing school lockers, security cameras and security guards.

Authors

• Nicole Frisch, University of Maryland

• Deanna Devlin, University of Maryland