An Evaluation of Student Perceptions of the Role of School Resource Officers’ in Promoting School Safety

• In Event: The Role of Perceptions Towards Law Enforcement, Crime Suppression, and the Reentry Process

Abstract

Over the last several decades there has been a rise in the use of school-based law enforcement, commonly known as school resource officers (SROs), in response to concerns regarding safety in schools. Extant literature on the impact of SROs in schools suggests mixed effects on reductions in crime and perceptions of school safety. Notably, this research is almost exclusively conducted in the United States which has a model of policing and history of community-police relations that is arguably distinct from other countries. The current study examines the attitudes and experiences of students with SROs in a large Canadian city with a focus on three key predictors of perceived safety: 1) personal interactions with SROs, 2) vicarious interactions with SROs, and 3) attitudes towards police broadly. Findings from the study provide preliminary evidence on the predictors of perceived safety and impact of SROs within the Canadian context. The study offers key takeaways for understanding the implications of a specific model of SRO deployment.

Authors

• Zachary Rowan, Simon Fraser University

• Jennifer Wong, Simon Fraser University