SROs Continued from page 2
responding to disciplinary matters .
• Educators routinely request SROs to enforce discipline . SROs stated that educators rely on them to enforce school rules , rather than limiting their engagement to incidents involving violations of the law .
• SROs do not receive regular training or other supports specific to interactions with girls of color . No participants had received training specific to considerations relevant to girls of color . Participant SROs recognized this as a gap they wished to close in order to respond more effectively to girls of color .
• SROs do not receive information about community resources that could offer support to girls of color as alternatives to discipline , which leads them to rely on ad hoc , informal networks .
• SROs described resorting to personal resources , including family members and close colleagues , because of the dearth of formal information and professional development opportunities to provide them with culturally competent and gender-responsive community-based resources for girls
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of color . Race and gender issues
• Racial tensions in local communities appear to affect the dynamics between SROs and girls of color . SROs – particularly those who identify as White – believe that students of color , including girls , have preconceived opinions of SROs as inherently biased that are formed by their experiences with community officers . Others , however , stated that positive interactions in school can help change perceptions of local police .
• SROs attempt to modify the behavior and appearance of girls of color to conform with mainstream cultural norms regarding gender roles and sexuality . Participants discussed urging girls to present themselves in ways that the officers perceived to be more respectable and “ ladylike .”
Girls of color on SROs
• Girls of color primarily define the role of SROs as maintaining school safety . Girls view SROs ’ function as keeping them safe from student-based violence and potential external threats .
• Girls of color view relationship-building as essential to officers ’ effectiveness in maintaining safety . Girls indicated that officers most effectively establish a sense
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of safety by developing positive , respectful relationships with students as individuals .
• Girls of color suggest that communication with SROs is key to their sense of safety . Participants emphasized that improved communication would lead SROs to better understand their perspectives and experiences . That , in turn , would help build a sense of safety in school .
• Girls of color attribute some punitive responses to broader external factors that they believe SROs do not fully recognize . Girls of color described that SROs fail to recognize underlying structural factors and issues in their families or broader community that affect their behavior and relationships in school .
The disproportionate discipline of girls of color in schools contributes to internalized gendered racial oppression , the process by which Black females absorb and accept the dominant culture ’ s distortions of Black feminine identity as less intelligent , hypersexual , loud , sassy , “ ghetto ” or domestic and oppressive patriarchal ideologies that undermine the healthy development of Black females .
This study revealed that some girls blamed themselves for negative behavior and interactions with SROs in ways that
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reinforced bias and stereotypes – for example , answering a question about why Black girls are disproportionately disciplined by stating “ because they ’ re ignorant .”
However , on further probing , the same girls offered more nuanced layers of analysis that reflected a greater degree of rigor and objectivity , ultimately recognizing the influence that bias plays in their interactions with SROs .
What can districts do ?
For the full , in-depth look at the data and research on relationships between SROs and girls of color , and how school districts can better address these concerns , please download and read the full toolkit at https :// goo . gl / XstCWX , including its comprehensive analysis of findings and direct quotes from multiple parties .
The toolkit further discusses ways for SROs and girls of color to collaboratively create a definition of safety in schools through effective , respectful communication , and trauma-informed and healingcentered responses , with punitive roles limited strictly to criminal law enforcement . It also provides guiding policy recommendations with real-life examples from various districts .
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