School Resource Officers: A Typical Day

• In Event: School Surveillance and Social Construction

Abstract

School resource officers (SROs) have been the subject of much educational research as of recent, with special emphasis placed on exploring their relation to exclusionary discipline, violence, academic achievement, and student perceptions, as well as the criminalization of normal adolescent behavior (Bracy, 2011; Fisher & Hennessy, 2016; Swartz, Osborne, Dawson-Edwards, & Higgins, 2016; Theriot, 2009). Although understanding the nature of these relationships is imperative, little inquiry has been directed towards examining the different motivations that guide the activities SROs engage in on a daily basis. The current study employs a qualitative analysis of 26 structured interviews with SROs from a metropolitan school district as a response to this gap in the literature. These detailed accounts range from the moment SROs arrive on school property until they leave for the day. Gaining first-hand knowledge of these motivations and activities has the potential to guide future research and offer more comprehensive explanations regarding how the presence of SROs affects students and the school environment as a whole. Results indicate that officers are primarily guided by three distinct themes: building rapport, being unpredictable, and establishing presence.

Authors

• Brandon S. Coffey, University of Louisville

• Benjamin W. Fisher, University of Louisville

• Kristin Swartz, University of Louisville

• Ethan M. Higgins, University of North Carolina Wilmington