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School police officers' roles: The influence of social, developmental and historical contexts

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  • Ghavami, Negin
  • Thornton, Bryan E.
  • Graham, Sandra

Abstract

Amid national protests over police brutality, debates over law enforcement in schools have been reignited. Though research has focused on the consequences of police presence in schools, few studies have investigated the roles of school police officers (SPOs) and whether the larger contexts influence them. Using a bioecological framework (Bronfenbrenner and Morris, 2006), we examined how historical, social and developmental contexts shape SPOs' views of their roles and the challenges and opportunities they encounter. Nineteen 90-min focus groups with 45 SPOs from one large school police department were conducted. Analysis revealed that SPOs perceived their roles as multifaceted, encompassing both formal (e.g., law enforcer, educator) and informal (e.g., confidante, counselor) roles. These roles were enacted differently depending on the school level and neighborhood context. Furthermore, the challenges and opportunities SPOs reported were also contextualized emerging from changes in school policies, the rise in technology and social media and increased professionalization of their police department. Implications for theory and research as well as for training and policy are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Ghavami, Negin & Thornton, Bryan E. & Graham, Sandra, 2021. "School police officers' roles: The influence of social, developmental and historical contexts," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jcjust:v:72:y:2021:i:c:s004723522030218x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2020.101724
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Brown, Ben, 2006. "Understanding and assessing school police officers: A conceptual and methodological comment," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 591-604.
    2. Theriot, Matthew T., 2009. "School resource officers and the criminalization of student behavior," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 280-287, May.
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