Contradictory Consciousness and the Meaning and Purpose of School Police

• In Event: Beyond Policy Change Performance: Examining the Real Impact and Limitations of California's School Discipline Reforms

Abstract

Police presence in schools, and their broad presence in the everyday lives of youth, specifically youth of color has been shown to lead to negative disciplinary and academic outcomes (Shedd 2015; Kupchik 2011; Hirschfield 2009). Further, the presence of police in schools often serves to criminalize student behavior and creates a culture of control within the school context (Simon 2007; Sojoyner 2013). The recent uprisings in the wake of police murders coupled with longstanding organizing efforts have shifted public opinion on the necessity of school police, and more broadly toward police. Yet the resources and time invested into securing these wins suggest that the beliefs and policies that secure school police are difficult to dislodge from the infrastructure of school life.

Drawing on a large qualitative study on school discipline, which included over 400 interviews and focus groups with students, teachers, and administrators in 14 California school districts, authors used qualitative data analysis software to identify 378 interview excerpts that referenced “police.” Researchers conducted a thematic analysis of the excerpts (Ryan & Bernard, 2003), identifying emerging patterns on the perceived purpose and impact of school police. Data was then organized into matrices to explore these themes in relationships to one’s position in the school community (student, teacher, administrator, parent, support staff) as well as variation across regions and school level.

Our findings suggest that the presence of school police and security officers are normalized and insinuated as necessary to the maintenance of safety on school campuses in three primary ways. At an institutional level, administrators framed police as a community partner understanding their relationships with police within the context of the broad category of community-school partnerships. Second, teachers reported little if any interaction with police. In a few rare cases, teachers described incidents of student removal that deployed force. Even as teacher reports of police incidents on school sites highlighted violence, they also maintained that they felt a sense of safety and comfort at the sight of police. Finally, students complained of being surveilled and treated as criminal, the disproportionate targeting of Black students, and the escalation of tactics when police became involved. Yet, a substantial number of students shared that they couldn’t imagine a school without police.

We argue that the presence of police creates a paradoxical understanding of the hopes of what police can accomplish and the reality of their daily actions. Our findings suggest that police are only occasionally and marginally involved in the day-to-day of school life, escalating violence when they are brought in. Yet police on school sites are visible indicators of safety for teachers and students who do not imagine safety without police despite the harm they’ve witnessed and experienced by police. These findings point to the need to address the contradictory consciousness (Gramsci) expressed by administrators, teachers, and students on the meaning of “safety” and more explicitly acknowledge the conflict among these role groups on whose meanings of safety should govern school policy and practice.

Authors

• Jeremy Kidd Prim, University of California - Davis

• Romelia Loaiza