Examining Youth School Connectedness and Youth Perceptions of School Resource Officers as a Function of Experiencing Community Violence

This preliminary research aims to demonstrate the linkage between exposure to community violence and school connectedness as mediated by perceptions of school resource officers (SROs). Exposure to community violence has been shown to cause psychological problems in youths who live in such communities. Low levels of school connectedness contribute to high dropout rates and greater opportunities to engage in delinquent behavior. Youths living in areas with high amounts of community violence encounter police on a more regular basis, and these interactions skew negatively for minority youths in schools and in the neighborhoods.