Police Psychology Techniques in K-12 Classrooms: Police Psychology Techniques in K-12 Classrooms

Abstract Dealing with students' behavioral problems is one of the most pressing concerns facing educators today, and teachers are feeling inadequately equipped to meet the challenge. The objective of this research was to better understand prevailing delinquency problems in K-12 classrooms, and how teachers address them. Although calls to improve school safety and discipline procedures have escalated, teachers do not have all the tools needed to achieve the goal. The focus of this study was to determine the components of police psychology, and the socio-ecological model that might logically be included in a program designed to reduce K-12 classroom delinquency, based on current theory and research. A review of the literature led to the development of a program in which highly trained law enforcement officers who are knowledgeable in the art of interacting with behaviorally and emotionally troubled individuals in real-life scenarios, similar to those faced by educators in classrooms, could train pre-service teachers to handle challenging behavioral situations: thus, reducing the amount of delinquency in classrooms. The results suggest that a concerted effort by teachers, school administrative leaders, communities, parents, and businesses is necessary to address violence within schools. However, efforts to alleviate violence are frequently met with resistance from those involved. Sociologists, psychiatrists, and educational theorists have called for an elimination of violence in schools and claim that early delinquency intervention is important because it relates to a host of negative life outcomes. Because of the issue's complexity, it is important for schools to gain the support they need to address the problem at its core. This is made possible through the development of strong relationships forged between the police and teaching communities. The primary and overarching goal of this program is to create a social environment in which students may thrive, and within which teachers may intervene with delinquent students more successfully than in the past. The primary strategy for this program is to create a mentoring relationship between retired police officers and current teachers, and in turn between teachers and students. The "delinquency avoidance program" should be taught by a trained law enforcement officer assigned to a school one day a week for one semester to provide weekly mentoring sessions for teachers, and should include student instruction in topical areas, as well as peer mediation initiatives. It is recommended that in order to build upon the work of teachers in the classroom and realistically extend the possibility for positive social change through police officer mentorship in schools, four things must happen. First, school boards must specifically measure the impact of these initiatives at the district level. Second, boards must create a government standard and programmatic objective for a shared community of practice leadership initiatives. Third, university leaders must develop conflict resolution as a higher education mandate within teacher training and administrator training programs. Fourth, schools must work toward engaging the community and parents in conflict resolution and peer mediation programs.

Author: Gary J. Rose Ph. D.

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Publication Date: Dec 05, 2013

Number of Pages: 168 pages

Binding: Paperback or Softback

ISBN-10: 1493556959

ISBN-13: 9781493556953