School Security Measures and Adolescents’ Academic, Behavioral, and Social Outcomes: Examining Whether the Associations Have Changed Over Time

Using a repeated cross-sectional sample of nearly 55,000 adolescents from the School Crime Supplement over 16 years (2001–2017), we examined the associations between a latent school security measure and 20 different adolescent outcomes, with a particular focus on whether these associations changed over time. Results indicated that the associations were mixed — specifically, the school security measure was associated with predominantly adverse outcomes (9 of 20), followed by null associations (7 of 20), and a smaller number of protective outcomes (4 of 20). Most associations remained stable overtime (17 of 20), though three exhibited change. Among these, two became increasingly protective, while one became increasingly adverse.