Training and Support of School Resource Officers and School Safety Officers – Influences on Referrals from School to Law Enforcement

• In Event: School Resource Officers’ Training, Implementation and Influence on School Safety and Climate

Abstract

SROs and SSOs each play unique roles in the school system, but they are hired, trained, and supported by different organizations, and serve different purposes. Little has been written about the process of selecting and hiring SROs and SSOs, or the training and support they receive to successfully meet their responsibilities. This study sought to explore whether the training and support that SROs and SSOs received would have an influence on the rates of disciplinary referrals and arrests in the school systems. Surveys were provided to SROs, SSOs, and their respective law enforcement and school administration supervisors. We examined specifically whether school personnel participated in the selection and hiring of SROs, their length of time in service at their school, and how they were supervised or interacted with school administration. In addition, we were able to identify areas that law enforcement and school personnel believed would be useful for SROs and SSOs to receive more training. Finally, we used SRO and SSO characteristics to identify influences on discipline and arrest rates from the school.

Authors

• Gerard Lawson, Virginia Tech University

• Laura E. Welfare, Virginia Tech University