Dr. Myrstol publishes article on school resource officers in 'Western Criminology Review'

Dr. Brad Myrstol, UAA Justice Center faculty, has recently published, "Public Perceptions of School Resource Officer (SRO) Programs," (PDF) in volume 12, number 3 of Western Criminology Review, the peer-reviewed journal of the Western Society of Criminology.



About the article:
Prior research examining people's perceptions of School Resource Officer (SRO) programs has focused on the views of four stakeholder groups: school administrators, teachers, parents, and students. Notably, however, no prior studies have assessed the views of the general public, and few have utilized multivariate analyses in order to identify the factors that shape perceptions of SRO initiatives. Using community survey data collected in Anchorage, Alaska this study explores the general public's awareness of, perceived need for, and belief in the effectiveness of SRO programs, and systematically examines factors that predict public support for them within a multivariate framework. Results show that public support for SRO programs is multidimensional and "fuzzy." Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.‬‬