Reconsidering Police in Schools

In this article on School Police Officers (SPOs), we showcase the link between SPOs and exacerbated racial disparities in justice involvement and youth being driven deeper into criminal justice systems. Yet SPOs have been linked with increased arrests for non-criminal, youthful behavior, fueling the school-to-prison pipeline. It is important to note that the presence of SPOs is notably higher in schools with higher percentages of Black or Latino youth. Singling out the concerning and ever-widening reach of the justice system, SPOs are frequently given authority to intervene when non-criminal school rules are broken. By engaging mostly in law enforcement tactics, such as arrests, rather than education and mentorship programs that can act as preventative measures to rule-breaking at school, SPO presence often results in overall harsher punishments and increased arrests for youth non-criminal behavior. These policing practices “disproportionately expose children of color to the justice system at a young age [and] are correlated with a higher likelihood of incarceration as an adult”. Given the long term consequences associated with a single arrest—increased likelihood of dropping out and long-term consequences in obtaining adequate employment—we present policy recommendations to help rethink investments toward the types of approaches that are more likely to make schools safe and away from SPO involvement. These include using counselors, social workers and teachers, and alternative and restorative justice practices to address problematic behavior in schools.

Making Schools Safer and/or Escalating Disciplinary Response: A Study of Police Officers in North Carolina Schools

The “defund the police” movement has recently called for the removal of police—or school resource officers (SROs)—from schools. This call is driven by concerns that SROs may heighten student contact with criminal justice or lead to disproportionately harsh disciplinary consequences. This study uses linked disciplinary, academic, juvenile justice, and adult conviction data from North Carolina to estimate the effects of middle school SROs on a variety of student outcomes. Our findings indicate that SROs not only decrease the incidence of serious violence but also increase the use of out-of-school suspensions, transfers, expulsions, and police referrals. This study provides new insights into the effects of police in schools and implies new directions for policies, training, and accountability.

Blurred and Confused: The Paradox of Police in Schools

The get-tough era in juvenile justice ushered in significant changes to how schools respond to delinquency. One of the most visible changes has been the increasing presence of police officers who work in and patrol schools. The purpose of this article is to argue that this practice has blurred the boundaries between schools and police and, in turn, has created confusion about the roles of educators in safety efforts and of officers in education efforts, respectively. We draw on prior literature about school safety, school discipline, and law enforcement officers in school environments to describe this confusion and its consequences. This article contributes to literature aimed at understanding the changing landscape of policing and school safety and the challenges as well as opportunities facing the police and schools in educating youth, responding to misbehaviour, and maintaining safe school environments.

School Pathways to the Juvenile Justice System

School policies have increasingly criminalized students for common developmentally appropriate behaviors, such as talking back, public displays of affection, or repeated tardiness. Although their behaviors are no more problematic than their peers, children of color and children of color with disabilities are punished at higher rates. The increasing number of police in schools has also increased the number of arrests. In some cities, schools are the primary referral source to juvenile court. The literature on implicit bias, decision-making, and discipline disparities suggests new policy approaches: Evidence-based measures can disrupt these pathways to the justice system. A range of solutions could fortify efforts to protect all students and promote positive school climate.

Do School Resource Officers Really Refer Juveniles to the Juvenile Justice System for Less Serious Offenses?

In this article, we use 3 years of youth court data from a southeastern state to examine whether referrals that originated from school resource officers (SROs) involve greater proportions of less serious offenses than referrals from other sources. Referrals from SROs during the 3-year period were similar to referrals by law enforcement outside of school for status and serious offenses. SROs were less likely than law enforcement officers outside of school to refer juveniles for minor offenses during the 3-year period. Our findings suggest that schools, not solely police in schools, make a large contribution to the number of juveniles referred to the juvenile justice system for less serious offenses. Implications for policy and future research are also discussed.