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School resource officers and the criminalization of student behavior

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  • Theriot, Matthew T.

Abstract

As school resource officer (SRO) programs continue to be widely implemented, there is concern that an increasing police presence at schools will "criminalize" student behavior by moving problematic students to the juvenile justice system rather than disciplining them at school. If true, this has serious implications for students and schools; yet research on this topic is limited and the discourse is often based on speculation or anecdotal evidence. To address this issue, this study evaluated the impact of SROs on school-based arrest rates by comparing arrests at thirteen schools with an SRO to fifteen schools without an SRO in the same district. Poisson and negative binomial regression models showed that having an SRO did not predict more total arrests, but did predict more arrests for disorderly conduct. Conversely, having an SRO decreased the arrest rate for assault and weapons charges. Implications of these findings for understanding SROs and their role in criminalizing student behavior are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Theriot, Matthew T., 2009. "School resource officers and the criminalization of student behavior," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 280-287, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jcjust:v:37:y::i:3:p:280-287
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Johnson, Ida M., 1999. "School violence: The effectiveness of a school resource officer program in a southern city," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 173-192, March.
    2. Hurst, Yolander G. & Frank, James, 2000. "How kids view cops The nature of juvenile attitudes toward the police," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 189-202.
    3. Brown, Ben, 2006. "Understanding and assessing school police officers: A conceptual and methodological comment," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 591-604.
    4. Miller, J. Mitchell & Gibson, Chris & Ventura, Holly E. & Schreck, Christopher J., 2005. "Reaffirming the significance of context: The Charlotte School Safety Program," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 33(5), pages 477-485.
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    1. Rochester Teens Arrested For Obstructing The Sidewalk While Waiting For School Bus
      by ? in Think Progress on 2013-12-03 04:56:38

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    2. Fisher, Benjamin W. & Fisher, Amy E., 2023. "Criminal justice system contact of students with disabilities by race and ethnicity: Examining the role of school police," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    3. Ziad El-Khatib & Celina Herrera & Giovanna Campello & Elizabeth Mattfeld & Wadih Maalouf, 2021. "The Role of Law Enforcement Officers/Police in Drug Prevention within Educational Settings—Study Protocol for the Development of a Guiding Document Based on Experts’ Opinions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-12, March.
    4. Soderstrom, Melanie F.P., 2024. "Formalizing and expanding school resource officer presence: Examining the influence on student arrests," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    5. Paez, G.R., 2020. "School safety agents’ identification of adolescent bullying," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    6. Clochard, Gwen-Jirō, 2025. "Using a brief contact to improve trust in the police by the youth," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    7. Shanon S. Taylor, 2024. "School Disturbance Laws: What They Are, How They Are Used, and How They Impact Students," SAGE Open, , vol. 14(2), pages 21582440241, June.
    8. Johanna Lacoe, 2013. "Unequally Safe," Working Paper 9312, USC Lusk Center for Real Estate.
    9. Agustina Laurito & Johanna Lacoe & Amy Ellen Schwartz & Patrick Sharkey & Ingrid Gould Ellen, "undated". "School Climate and the Impact of Neighborhood Crime on Test Scores," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 22946c6212374659afcb48ce0, Mathematica Policy Research.
    10. Rocque, Michael & Snellings, Quincy, 2018. "The new disciplinology: Research, theory, and remaining puzzles on the school-to-prison pipeline," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 3-11.
    11. Pentek, Christen & Eisenberg, Marla E., 2018. "School resource officers, safety, and discipline: Perceptions and experiences across racial/ethnic groups in Minnesota secondary schools," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 141-148.
    12. Ghavami, Negin & Thornton, Bryan E. & Graham, Sandra, 2021. "School police officers' roles: The influence of social, developmental and historical contexts," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    13. Benjamin W. Fisher & Anthony Petrosino & Hannah Sutherland & Sarah Guckenburg & Trevor Fronius & Ivan Benitez & Kevin Earl, 2023. "School‐based law enforcement strategies to reduce crime, increase perceptions of safety, and improve learning outcomes in primary and secondary schools: A systematic review," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 19(4), December.

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