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Students Restrained or Secluded in School

Current Value

2,460

2014

Definition

Line Bar Comparison

Story Behind the Curve

According to state statutes, restraint in the school setting includes: physical restraint, mechanical restraint, and chemical restraint. Seclusion, in relation to a school environment, is defined as “the involuntary confinement of a student in a room, whether alone or with supervision, in a manner that prevents the student from leaving.” Data regarding each student who has experienced restraint and/or seclusion is collected by local or regional boards of education for compilation and analysis by the Connecticut State Board of Education on an annual basis. Since collection of these data points began recently, the current trend is relatively flat; however the data can be disaggregated by gender and race/ethnicity to better understand how the use of restraint and seclusion is weighted.

The most common breakdown of the use and frequency of restraint and seclusion not depicted here is the rate of use amongst students with identified special needs. The Office of the Child Advocate produced a report that highlights the fact that students who have Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are subject to restraint and seclusion most frequently. Both white and female student populations saw an increase in incidences between the two school-year periods. Connecticut is not alone in its increased attention to the use of restraint and seclusion in schools, as the conversation of its purpose and impact has reached a national dialogue.

Seclusion and restraint in schools can become a significant detriment to a child’s social and emotional growth. The Healing Hearts Family Counseling Center noted that prior instances of attachment and trauma disorders, including the use of restraint or seclusion by adults can result in further trauma and both short and long term psychological problems. Early and frequent use of restraint and seclusion has the potential to cause Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). As a result, physical restraint or seclusion themselves becomes a recurring psychological trigger in the child, which escalates the frequency and intensity of the violent/self-destructive behaviors that precipitated the restraint or seclusion. This routine then becomes part of the child’s everyday school experience. In addition to psychological damage, the use of certain restraint methods and improperly supervised seclusion can cause physical harm. According to the American Occupational Therapy Association, this harm can range from damaged joints and skin irritation, to broken bones and even death. These injuries are not only caused by the type of restraint or the transfer of a child into a seclusion room, but also by the self-harming behavior engaged in by children during the incident. Connecticut, however, has taken multiple steps in recent years to directly combat the use restraint and seclusion in the K-12 system.

In 2012, news of “scream rooms” used by schools in Connecticut prompted the State Department of Education to investigate, and the Committee on Children to respond by requiring annual reporting of children placed in restraint and seclusion. In 2015, the Connecticut General Assembly passed and the governor signed into law significant reforms to restraint and seclusion policies for every school and every child in the state. The law designates face down restraints as life-threatening, limits the use of restraints and seclusion, and increases the training requirements. According to an analysis of laws and policies across the United States, Connecticut “publishes one of the most substantial state data collections.” In addition, the report indicates Connecticut has joined many states in closing loopholes, providing safer environments for students who are restrained or secluded, and ensuring better outcomes for children while in school.

Partners

  • Department of Education
  • Department of Public Health
  • Office of the Child Advocate
  • African Caribbean American Parents of Children with Disabilities, Inc.
  • CT Voices for Children
  • National Alliance on Mental Illness
  • Center for Children’s Advocacy
  • Office of Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities

Strategy

  • Establish school-wide positive behavior supports and a behavior support strategies
    • Increase predictability and scheduling
    • Increase choice making
    • Appreciate positive behaviors
    • Alter environments by including room arrangement and traffic patterns to accommodate individual needs.
  • Monitor systems with the goal of continually improving efficiency and effectiveness.
  • Encourage relaxation-based strategies through the creation of cool down or multisensory rooms, as well as teaching relaxation techniques.
  • Establish a series of reflective and critical thinking questions that assess a student's anger at others and other people's anger.
  • Provide instruction of visualization of a relaxing scenario, progressive muscle relaxation, and autogenic relaxation techniques.
  • Train teachers and staff in the Conflict Cycle, the Acting-Out Cycle, and conflict de-escalation strategies.

Strategies collected from "Reducing the Use of Seclusion and Restraint in Schools" by Joseph B. Ryan, Ph.D., Clemson University.

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