Moving the Study of School Policing Forward: An Analysis of the Methodological Challenges to Date

• In Event: School Safety, Security and Discipline: Core Issues in Advancing Criminological Research Across Time

Abstract

Over the last decade, the use of police in schools has continued to expand both in frequency and scope, which has resulted in greater attention from researchers. Initially, much of this attention has focused on gaining a better understanding of how police are being used, yet, in recent years, this work has moved toward determining the “effectiveness” or “impact” of police in schools on student and school outcomes. Despite advancements in this area of research, it has been plagued by several methodological challenges. These challenges include: 1) few school policing programs that are implemented in a way that allows for evaluation (i.e., established goals and data to measure these goals), 2) a lack of consistency and agreement in outcome measures across studies (ultimately what we think police should have an “impact” on), and 3) a lack of overall rigor in research design when evaluating these programs. This presentation will discuss these challenges in detail as well as propose ways in which they can be mitigated in future research, such as examining outcomes over time and considering the complex and dynamic nature of these programs. Finally, a framework for program implementation currently being tested will be presented as a possible solution.

Author

• Joesph M. McKenna, Texas State, Texas School Safety Center