Adding Security, but Subtracting Safety? Exploring Schools’ use of Multiple Visible Security Measures

In response to continued concerns over crime and violence, schools are increasingly employing visible security measures such as cameras, metal detectors, and security personnel. These security measures are not mutually exclusive, but few studies have considered the relationship between the use of mu...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of criminal justice 2018-03, Vol.43 (1), p.102-119
Main Authors: Tanner-Smith, Emily E., Fisher, Benjamin W., Addington, Lynn A., Gardella, Joseph H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Crime
Crime prevention
Criminology and Criminal Justice
Drug abuse
Law and Criminology
Policy making
Property
Quasi-experimental methods
Research design
Safety
School safety
School violence
Schools
Secondary schools
Security
Security management
Security personnel
Security systems
Youth
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:In response to continued concerns over crime and violence, schools are increasingly employing visible security measures such as cameras, metal detectors, and security personnel. These security measures are not mutually exclusive, but few studies have considered the relationship between the use of multiple forms of security and youth’s exposure to drugs, fighting, property crime, and firearms at school. To address this issue, we analyzed nationally representative school administrator-reported data from the School Survey on Crime & Safety, using a quasi-experimental design with propensity scores to adjust for potential confounding factors. The results indicated that utilization of multiple security measures reduced the likelihood of exposure to property crime in high schools, but most other security utilization patterns were associated with poorer school safety outcomes. Our findings provide guidance to policymakers in considering whether to use – or expand – visible school security measures in schools.
ISSN:1066-2316
1936-1351
DOI:10.1007/s12103-017-9409-3