School Resource Officers: Do the Benefits of Student Safety School Resource Officers: Do the Benefits of Student Safety Outweigh Their Negative Impacts?
Summary
Schools have always been a place where parents expect their children to be safe
and protected. Student resource officer (SRO) programs were created to protect students
from violence, but in practice, the safety benefits are often outweighed by their negative
effects, such as higher juvenile incarceration rates through the school-to-prison pipeline
and a greater overall student disconnection to school. To preserve their role in safeguarding
schools but decrease risks for students, SROs should undergo specific training, especially
regarding properly handling the behavior of students with disabilities and regarding
implicit bias against students of color, and they should use alternate methods of discipline
that do not involve arrests and the juvenile court system. This article will provide an
overview of SRO training and duties, and then compare the benefits and drawbacks of SRO
presence in schools. It will conclude with recommendations for limiting the negative
impacts of SROs.
Source: Children’s Legal Rights Journal (2021). School Resource Officers: Do the Benefits of Student Safety Outweigh Their Negative Impacts.