Do I Feel Safe at School? A Study of Student and Teacher Perceptions of School Safety Measures

This study examined student and teacher perceptions of current school safety measures. It explored feelings of safety among high school students and their classroom teacher, focusing on their perspectives regarding school safety measures and school resource officers (SROs). Students took a survey asking their thoughts regarding current school safety measures using Likert scale questions as well as drawing a picture and writing a describing paragraph regarding their perceptions of safety. From the survey results, 11 students were selected to be a part of two separate focus group interviews. The qualitative data was analyzed using the constant comparative method, while the survey data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The researcher found that both students and the classroom teacher expressed a range of perspectives on school safety. While many voiced concerns and suggested changes to existing measures, others shared appreciation and confidence in current practices and staff efforts to maintain a safe environment.