School Resource Officer Essay

This paper will discuss the various ethical dilemmas facing school resource officers (SRO). This will include problems with 4th amendment protections of students, interviews and interrogations of juveniles, as well as, privacy issues expected by students and faculty. Other issues to be will also address two sociological theories, the Self Efficacy and the Modeling theory. I will also discuss how school discipline is being reclassified in to criminal behavior resulting in many children being classified as criminals due to minor behavior problems. Finally this paper will discuss the SROs role, should it be public servant, or crime fighter.

The School Resource officer program provides the use of trained full-time Police Officers who will work within the educational system. The objectives of the School Recourse Officer Program is to promote and assist schools in providing a safe learning environment which will also improve relationships between law enforcement and the youth of today. The program attempts to promote a better understanding of the Law Enforcement Officers' role in society while educating students, parents, school personnel, and the community on important issues such as gangs, violent crime, drugs, and other related topics. The program also provides a positive role model in the educational system. The Primary focus of this program is

Some argue that having armed officers can be intimidating to students. Also that they can create a tense environment. That they may also abuse their authority. Students must be made aware of why the officers are present. Although it can be scary to a student to see an armed officer patrolling the halls but with proper training of officers to be in a school environment students will feel safe. Students as well as faculty and staff should also be well informed as to the duties of the officers so that there is an understating of an armed officers purpose in a school.

1. Use school resource officers (SROs) who may be provided by local law enforcement. SROs often provide law enforcement, law-related counseling, and law-related education to students, faculty, and staff. Continuity of officers in individual schools should be encouraged, so that students and SROs develop a rapport.

In a recent article from US News, they ask a question that is stirring much debate nationwide, whether school resource officers (SRO’s) are doing more harm than good. The rate of children becoming involved in the Juvenile Justice system through SRO’s is alarming. “In theory, so called school resource officers are supposed to foster exactly what many civil right groups are campaigning for: better relations between law enforcement and citizens, particularly minorities and lower-income families” (Sneed, 2015). The word resource originated from Old French meaning to rise again and in Latin a resurrection. Today’s meaning of resource can be defined as a source of support or something that enhances the quality of human life (Merriam-Webster, 2015). When considering what the title of SRO stands for, children should be given more options and assistance rather than fear based compliance tactics traditionally used on adult criminals. I feel we are almost telling kids well we can’t put you all in jail, so we will bring the jail to your school. How could a cop in a school be non-threatening? Children see a bullet proof vest, Taser, gun, handcuffs, pepper spray and I really doubt they are thinking this person is there to help them.

While researching School Resource officers or law enforcement officers in schools it has been discovered that the research is on the effectiveness of SRO’s is mixed or limited on keeping schools safe (Justice Policy Institute, 2011). There has also been research that was conducted in the last few years that concluded that the safety of schools can be improved without the help of SRO’s and or Law Enforcement’s approach on discipline (Justice Policy Institute, 2011). While reviewing the research of Dewey Correll at the University of Virginia , he suggested that when using highly structured and defined rules that are created to be strict and fairly enforced, while having the support of adults, SRO’s are not necessary

Schools around the nation are contracting polices officer to patrol their schools and students. Police officers are known as School Resource Officer’s (SRO’s) like if given them a different name would matter, instead of being resourceful they are up holding the law in harsh ways. There are many SRO’s in schools and this has led to high number of arrests and criminal charges, instead of keeping a safer environment for the children it is becoming a hunting ground (Schept, Wall, & Brisman). Before when a child did something wrong they were given detention, standards, a parent-meeting or maybe even sent to the office, but now the student are sent to the police officer in their schools. Once they are sent to her/him they are punish in such a different way where they can be expelled, suspense or even taken to jail.

In Addition, some officers are not taking their job seriously because they are not trained properly. Some officers do not care about the well being student and just want their check. To clarify this point Lisa Thurau says, “ officers who don't really want to do anything.” These are the type of officers that schools should avoid in order to make this program work. These officers misleading students instead of mentoring and helping the students. On the other hand a law passed in Denver in 2012 mentions that the training for schools officers will be more intense. Although this law passed there has not been good officers at school. With the right officers, the officers can mentor the student and guide them in the right direction. Not only can they menor student but get them to understand that school is more important than anything. Perhaps with the right training officers will make a change. Unfortunately, that is not happening and schools are hiring

A SOR is a School Resource Officers are “sworn law enforcement officers responsible for safety and crime prevention” are a brilliant idea. There is already 14,000 to 20,000 SORs across the nation in the school system. SORs have proven to be effective in reducing school violence, according to the “Comprehensive School Safety Initiative” that is a research project that had a budget of $75 million thanks to the work of the National Institute of Justice. Recently a School Resource Officer, Deputy Blaine Gaskill was elected to receive the National award of Valor. He ended a school shooting very quickly in Maryland in March. The School Resource officers aren’t just there to tote around a gun, they’d be there to see “with a different set of eyes” (Blad) according to Sheri Bauman, a professor of counseling at the University of Arizona. They provide useful tips and can also relate more with students who aren’t comfortable talking to a counselor. According to several different surveys conducted the SORs have helped with issues from bullying to tardies to even violence. Which means it wouldn’t entirely be based on the scenario “if a school shooting occurs”, it would help improve the daily life of the students on

Teaching at a typical small town school in rural America one day, shots ring out. Active shooter drills come to mind, but what do we do, where do we go, how many students are present? Panic sets in. Thoughts of hiding, running, calling out for help and screaming all flash across the forefront of the mind when a person can be seen walking down the hall with a large gun in hand. No one ever thinks it could happen in a town, school, or church like ours but when the act is committed everyone feels the betrayal. Although schools from elementary to universities have adopted drills for active shooters and have routes with plans drawn up we never know how we will truly react until the time comes. Armed guards stand at the ready at most entryway doors but they are only one person and can not be everywhere always. In a recent study of active shooters for the Federal Bureau of Investigations, J.Pete Blair and Katherine W. Schweit have said, “The second most common incident locations were in educational environments…and the study results established that …these incidents involved some of the highest casualty numbers” (20). Crime is always a threat to education and defending our students nationwide should be a priority. The trouble begins with the fact that the school shootings are becoming more regular. Allowing teachers to be armed gives administration, faculty and students a more successful chance at survival against an active shooter in our education systems.

School resource officers are a great contact for youth, who can interact with students daily. These officers can develop a trusting relationship that allows the students to have someone to speak with that is not seen as part of the school staff or a teacher. As sworn law enforcement officers, the resource officers are responsible for the safety of those at the school and the property of the school. Resource officers that openly carry a firearm give a visual deterrent to anyone who thinks about bringing a firearm to the school for harm. When a potential shooter sees that there are officers carrying firearms at the school, the potential shooter may consider that bringing a firearm to the school would not produce the results the potential shooter

During the past decade, school safety has been at the forefront of many school districts safety polices and plans. With recent high profile school shootings, the question school districts continue to ask is how do we keep our schools safe? Administrators face heavy scrutiny when weighing approaches to school safety and student discipline. Likewise, school employees have the right to work in safe environments devoid of life-threatening behaviors (Fenning and Bohanon, 2006; Skiba and Rausch, 2006). America’s founding fathers understood the importance of a public school education. They believed educating its citizens would allow them the opportunity to learn new skills while becoming successful and productive people in society. However, our founding fathers did not predict the severe behavior changes our schools face in educating disruptive and dangerous students. America’s school districts are charged with providing solutions for disruptive and dangerous students (Fenning and Bohanon, 2006; Skiba and Rausch, 2006). School officials must address these issues with research-based interventions and collaborative resources that provide a safe learning environment for all stakeholders (Elliott and Mihalic, 2004; Schoenwald and Hoagwood, 2001). Boards of education continue to support school efforts to rethink best practices for disciplinary alternative middle schools (DAMS). Many school districts focus on research-based interventions and resources that manage aggression and

One of the key things a School Resource Officer can do is help foster a positive relationship between the students, community, and law enforcement. Counseling students are one of those services a School Resource Officer can provide to help foster this positive relationship. As stated in the article, “…youth often view and turn to officers in the same way they might turn to parents or other adults in their lives…to discuss issues…” (Rosiak, n.d.). From these discussions,

Adversely an effect of public schools to students’ is the culture of drugs and violence. "No matter where you are, parents want their students to be safe and secure… that might even precede a quality education…With drugs, gangs, and guns on the rise in many communities the threat of violence weighs heavily on most principals minds these days …Anyone who thinks they are not vulnerable is really naïve" (Durso). When parents send their children off to school they do not know who their child associates with. Those people may introduce them into drugs and violence of any kind. Later Durso states “More than half of U.S. public schools reported experiencing at least one crime incident during a given school year, and 1 in 10 schools reported at least one serious violent crime during that school year’’. It is very evident that the issue with violence is a major problem. Furthermore, an article from the National Institute of Drug Abuse states “the use of marijuana, alcohol, cigarette, and prescription drugs have significantly increased”. Along with the increase of drug and violence, there comes a large amount of students who have witnessed these crimes. “Eighty percent of high school students and 44% of middle school students reported that they personally had witnessed one or more of the following on the grounds of their school: 1) illegal drugs used; 2) illegal drugs sold; 3) illegal drugs in the possession of students (either on them or in their

School violence has become of the most pressing educational problems in the United States. Gang violence and high profile shootings across the nation cause concern within schools. Communities struggle to understand why these events take place and how they can be prevented. The overwhelming response to solve the issue of violence in schools is the increasing societal pressure to execute zero tolerance. Zero tolerance is driven by the educational philosophy, policies, and practices of school communities. Stakeholders expect schools to be a safe place for staff and for students. Stakeholders assume that a positive classroom environment, safe students, and school enjoyment are conditions necessary to create a positive climate where learning takes place. This assumption can be backed with research. A calm classroom environment, teachers’ management of disruptive behavior, and students’ view of school safety are factors that have been found to directly correlate with student achievement in the classroom (Ma & Willms, 2004). Safety and a feeling of not being threatened during school hours have been found to be important to students’ achievement. Failure to remove a disruptive or an unruly student from school has been found to have a negative impact on achievement and creates a great risk to school staff and students (Garbarino et al., 1992). Teachers cannot teach and students cannot learn in an