Abstract

School resource officer (SRO) presence in K–12 public schools is becoming increasingly popular in an effort to help ensure stakeholder safety and protect against unsuspecting acts of school violence. Despite the rise in SRO popularity, over the last 3 decades, research on the perceived impact of SRO presence in schools is mixed and generally relies on student reports. The current study, employing survey methodology, sought to contribute to and update the existing literature on SRO influence on teacher perceptions of safety and security. Nearly 4,000 (N = 3,970) teachers from one Midwestern state completed the survey. Approximately 63% (n = 2,483) of teachers in the study reported SRO presence in their school buildings. Results of the current study suggest that teachers positively associate SRO presence with feelings of safety and security, but they perceive students to be more fearful and less secure in buildings employing SROs. These findings draw attention to the importance of future research on SRO presence in schools in an educational era where budgets are tight and educational stakeholder safety and security is a national priority.

Impact Statement

Teachers (N > 3,800) overwhelmingly denounced the idea that schools are dangerous places and the majority reported that they, along with their students, feel safe at school. Teachers positively associated SRO presence with feelings of safety and security, but they perceive students to be more fearful and less secure in buildings employing SROs.

摘要

K-12 公立学校的学校资源官 (SRO) 越来越受欢迎，以帮助确保利益相关者的安全并防止毫无戒心的校园暴力行为。尽管 SRO 的受欢迎程度有所上升，但在过去 3 年中，关于 SRO 存在于学校的感知影响的研究喜忧参半，并且通常依赖于学生报告。目前的研究采用调查方法，旨在促进和更新关于 SRO 对教师对安全和保障的看法的影响的现有文献。来自中西部一个州的近 4,000 ( N = 3,970) 名教师完成了调查。大约 63% ( n = 2,483) 研究中的教师报告说他们的学校建筑中存在 SRO。当前研究的结果表明，教师积极将 SRO 的存在与安全感和安全感联系起来，但他们认为学生在使用 SRO 的建筑物中更加恐惧和不安全。这些发现提请注意在预算紧张且教育利益相关者的安全和保障是国家优先事项的教育时代，未来对学校中 SRO 存在的研究的重要性。

影响声明

教师（N  > 3,800）压倒性地谴责学校是危险场所的想法，大多数人报告说他们和学生在学校感到安全。教师积极地将 SRO 的存在与安全感和安全感联系起来，但他们认为学生在使用 SRO 的建筑物中更害怕，更不安全。