The Influence of School Resource Officer Presence on Teacher Perceptions of School Safety and Security

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.