School resource officers have limited effects on school safety and increase suspensions, expulsions, police referrals, and arrests, with larger negative effects for Black students and students with disabilities¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · review r? · q3
Currency · newest study 2023 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? In a 2023 national study of 3,443 schools, school resource officers increased weapons detected and reduced fights and threats but did not lower gun-related incidents. → dePaoli 2023 (2) q3 i? The presence of school resource officers increased suspensions, expulsions, police referrals, and student arrests, with effects consistently and significantly larger for Black students and students with disabilities. → dePaoli 2023 (2)

Evidence¶

dePaoli 2023¶

dePaoli, J., & McCombs, J. (2023). Safe schools, thriving students: Evidence-based strategies for creating safe and supportive schools. Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/701.445

q3 · i? · review · r?

The review reports a 2023 national study including 3,443 schools using "a rigorous research design that included a strong comparison group" to estimate SRO impacts on safety indicators. SROs increased weapons detected and reduced fights and threats, but "did not lower rates of gun-related incidents."

"The national study found that school resource officers led to an increase in the number of weapons detected in a school and a reduction in the number of fights and threats. however, they did not lower rates of gun-related incidents."

dePaoli 2023 (2)¶

dePaoli, J., & McCombs, J. (2023). Safe schools, thriving students: Evidence-based strategies for creating safe and supportive schools. Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/701.445

q3 · i? · review · r?

The same national study found negative effects: increased suspensions, expulsions, police referrals, and arrests. The review reports these effects were "consistently and significantly larger for Black students" and students with disabilities, and largest for Black students with disabilities.

"The presence of school resource officers led to an increase in the rate of suspensions, expulsions, police referrals, and student arrests—all of which are associated with long-term negative impacts on students."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Black students and students with disabilities are disproportionately referred for behavioral threat assessments — related
• Schools with school resource officers may have higher rates of exclusionary discipline, including a reported 21 percent increase in incidents — related
• Black students and students with disabilities are suspended at disproportionately high rates, and high-poverty schools are more likely to have a School Resource Officer — related
• High schools that retained SROs had higher suspension rates, were smaller, and served more socioeconomically disadvantaged students — related
• Common non-curricular policing strategies show no overall effects on measures of school crime or discipline — related
• Students with disabilities are overrepresented in school discipline: 16 percent of enrollment but 25–28 percent of suspensions and expulsions — related
• LCFF-induced spending increases reduced suspensions and expulsions, with larger effects for boys and the most pronounced effects for Black students — related
• Over 60% of the largest school districts reported zero school-related arrests, and no state had fully met ESSA school-policing report-card requirements — related
• Research on SRO effectiveness does not address whether their presence deters mass shootings, though schools with police are more likely to have emergency plans and regular safety checks — related
• Campus policing and surveillance disproportionately burden students of color, who mostly report police do not make them feel safer — related