Law enforcement agencies across the country are confronted with the problems associated with substance abuse. Law enforcement personnel receive only cursory training on substance abuse and lack targeted training that addresses the complex problems that are associated with it, such as co-existing mental health issues. This study, conducted on…

School security is an issue faced by all school districts. Some school districts in the state of Missouri made the decision to arm members of their staff to provide an additional layer of defense. This qualitative study looks at the lived experiences of PK-12 school staff members who carry a concealed weapon for Shield Solutions. The participants…

With heightened concerns regarding securing schools against random acts of school violence such as school shootings, school leaders have implemented many safety measures including arming schools with school security officers. As with any change, there can be unintended consequences, for example, school security officers may improve school safety…

Although heuristic models on safety for Black students have been proposed following the death of George Floyd (Edwards, 2021), little research to date has highlighted how Minnesota educational leaders perceive school resource officers (SROs) in schools. This phenomenological investigation explored the shared lived experiences of six Minnesota high…

This qualitative case study discussed the security training and awareness for iMiTs Art's cloud and information systems due to the digital transition to cloud computing capabilities and usage. The study was based on the technology acceptance of the TAM (Technology Acceptance Model) model, security training concepts of SETA (Security Education and…

This applied dissertation was designed to investigate the perceptions of school resource officers (SROs) in Southern Maryland regarding the support SROs could provide elementary schools to foster positive interpersonal relationships while maintaining school safety and what additional resources that the SROs needed to support their job. The overall…

In the United States, only fourteen percent of inmates participated in educational classes, and less than seven percent participated in vocational training as stated by Coop and Bales (2018). The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of correctional staff about the vocational training programs Black or Brown…

School Resource Officers (SROs) are a growing profession in public schools across the country. With the increase of school shootings, the number of SROs has proliferated without federal or state standards or evaluations. This mixed methods study examines the perceptions of 135 teachers in 6 different regions of Missouri. Through surveys and 15…

This mixed-methods study analyzes the perspectives of educators in middle school regarding the impact of cell phones in the middle school environment. Vygotsky's (1978) sociocultural theory of cognitive development along with opportunity theory (Cohen & Felson, 1979) provide insight regarding implications related to accessing personal devices…

School safety is a wicked problem due to shifting needs and available information, the diverse actors affected and involved, fluctuating budgetary demands and ramifications, and relations to broader social and political issues. School safety challenges encompass a range of factors, including threats of violence and fears related to school…

This research study examined the perceptions of educators and law enforcement professionals regarding the procedures used in schools by law enforcement. It examined their level of satisfaction with their general feelings about the relationship between schools and law enforcement and the current school districts' overall school safety in three…

Scholars and policymakers recommend that colleges and universities with publicly accessible threat assessment team (TAT) policies enhance campus safety. While many universities have TAT policies in place, external assessors usually have not thoroughly evaluated the actual content of those policies. A gap exists in the applied research literature…

Campus public safety plays an essential role in student retention and success at any university or college. To best support students' emotional and physical security, campus police should be aware of their perceptions and expectations of the police as the law enforcement entity directly responsible for their safety. This quantitative study…

The topic of school safety remains a widely researched subject globally. Teachers' perspectives concerning various stakeholders' roles and responsibilities in ensuring a secure school environment are often overlooked within this field. Unfortunately, there is a noticeable gap in this area's available literature. This research aims to fill this…

This qualitative study explores the retrospective sensemaking of Black1 girls and Latinas in their interactions with school security guards and School Resource Officers (SROs). Seven Black women and two Latinas participated in the study. Additionally, district data around SROs and discipline were analyzed for the five school districts in which the…