Students’ Perceptions of School Resource Officer Performance

Authors

• William N. Cooper, Mississippi State University
• Timothy E. McClure, University of South Carolina - Aiken
• David C. May, Mississippi State University
• Kristie R. Blevins, Eastern Kentucky University
• Lee Ann Morrison, Eastern Kentucky University

ORCID

May: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8275-6773

MSU Affiliation

College of Arts and Sciences; Department of Sociology

Creation Date

2026-06-01

Abstract

In recent years, school resource officers (SROs) and their role in the context of school safety have become a popular topic of research. In this study, we analyze data from 31,156 students from over 100 schools in Kentucky to better understand how students perceive SROs in their school environment. The findings reveal that males, students who liked having an SRO at their school, students who saw their SRO at several locations on campus during the typical school day, and students who viewed their SRO as more than a law enforcer had a higher opinion of the SRO working at their school. Interestingly, school-level variables had no impact on these relationships. Implications for policy and future research are also discussed.

Publication Date

1-29-2024

Publication Title

Criminal Justice Studies

Publisher

Taylor and Francis Group; Routledge

First Page

59

Last Page

81

Recommended Citation

Cooper, W. N., McClure, T. E., May, D. C., Blevins, K. R., & Morrison, L. A. (2024). Students’ perceptions of school resource officer performance. Criminal Justice Studies, 37(1), 59–81. https://doi.org/10.1080/1478601X.2024.2309504