Presenter: Grace Ryan

Faculty Sponsor: Deborah Keisch

School: UMass Amherst

Research Area: Sociology and Anthropology

Session: Poster Session 1, 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM, Auditorium, A24

ABSTRACT

Protecting students and maintaining safe school environments remains a central concern for educators, policymakers, and communities. In response to fears of school violence, many districts have increased the presence of law enforcement officers stationed on campuses. While campus police are often framed as a strategy to enhance safety, research indicates that their presence can contribute to the criminalization of student behavior, particularly students of color. The over surveillance and policing on campus leaves many students feeling uneasy, monitored, and unprotected. This can affect college experiences and overall wellbeing. Safety looks and feels different to each individual, what comforts one person, can cause another student to feel and be targeted. By sharing stories and giving space for conversation, story telling becomes a tool in looking at surveillance and how it can be combatted to promote community safety without police. It also fosters community, and allows for individuals to learn from others through lived experiences and centering the voices of those directly affected. This project seeks to bring attention to the effects of over-policing, and also give space to inspire discourse about campus and student safety. My classmates and I are collecting individuals' experiences with police on campus, and having them envision what collective safety could look and feel like. It will then be translated to artistic expressions that are displayed on campus, where other students can engage and also participate in conversations about alternative safety methods. Art allows us to navigate through these extremely difficult topics and personal experiences