The Effects of School Police Officers on Victimization, Delinquency, and Fear of Crime: Focusing on Korean Youth

Abstract

As a response to rising concerns about school violence, the Korean National Police Agency began recruiting specialized police officers, called Korean School Police Officers (KSPOs), in hopes that they would reduce in school behavioral and delinquency problems. The current study provides insight into the effects of crime prevention activities in Korean schools, using the 2014 Korean Youth Victimization Survey to advance the knowledge about the role of the KSPOs and their potential impact on delinquency reduction. Results indicate that the presence of KSPOs did not have any significant association with criminal victimization or fear of victimization. In some cases, the presence of KSPOs is associated with higher property crime by students. Implications of these findings for understanding KSPOs and their roles in preventing school crime and improving school environments are discussed. In addition, we discuss how lessons learned from the U.S. may influence future advancements in KSPO approaches and vice versa.