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Seclusion, Restraint, and Discipline Issues

Click here for information related to discipline (including suspensions, expulsions, and problem solving) from Bridges4Kids.

Playground Heroes: How Can We Teach Kids to Stick Up For Peers Who are Bullied? - Research has not only documented the great prevalence of bullying at schools; it's also shown that quite often, children serve as passive bystanders. They neither join in the bullying nor try to stop it, but just watch it from the sidelines. Yet when these observers do intervene, more often than not they're successful in stopping the bullying. So why don't they intervene -- and perhaps more importantly, how can parents and teachers effectively encourage them to intervene when it's appropriate for them to do so?

TV, No Homework Can Turn Suspensions Into Vacations - This was Kymber and Shawnte Andre-Sanders's punishment early this month: The Prince William County sisters spent the day in their pajamas, luxuriating in front of the television, contemplating 50 Cent's song "Window Shopper," T.G.I. Friday's chicken-sandwich commercial and, occasionally, such CNN news flashes as "Elvis Foils Robbers."

MO Keeping Suspended Students in School - Schools try to reduce “official hooky.” Out-of-school suspensions can cost St. Louis-area students tens of thousands of days a year - stealing valuable instructional time from students as well as state dollars from school districts' pockets.

Physical Restraint in School - The current emphasis on educating children in the least restrictive environment has resulted in the use of physical restraint procedures across all educational placement settings, including public schools. Since its initial use, restraint has been controversial. Professionals who use physical restraint claim that it is necessary to safely manage dangerous behaviors. Child advocates, however, argue that far too many children suffer injury and death from the very staff charged with helping them. The authors review research literature, legislation, and court decisions on topics related to the use of restraint in schools and identify position statements and recommended practices from nationally recognized professional organizations and advocacy groups. Recommendations are given for research, policy, and procedures for the use and practice of physical restraint in schools.

Study: Aggressive Discipline Can Backfire - An Australian study of 4,000 students and 600 teachers found that the best-behaved classes had teachers who used positive rewards and inclusive decision-making, rather than yelling and punishment. Researchers warn that difficult students often discern that teachers don't like them, which only leads them to misbehave more.

Recent presentations from the National Accountability Conference Proceedings (PDF) covered PBS and outcomes related to suspension and expulsion. The presentations give good details about federal obligations to report specific suspension/expulsion information, both baseline and comparative information, and the effect of PBS on suspension/expulsion.

 
The Special Ed Advocate: Focus on Discipline - Includes: Discipline - still a hot topic; Can school suspend or expel a child with LD/ADHD? Functional behavioral assessments; Discipline caselaw; Free publication - IEP Team's Introduction to Behavior Assessments & Intervention Plans and more; and Why Johnny Doesn't Behave - 20 Tips from Experts. [July 17, 2004]
 

New Zero Tolerance Study (PDF; size=285k) shows decrease in suspensions, increase in school achievement In the wake of the Columbine high school shooting five years ago (April 20) and other school shootings, many schools across the country toughened up their schools' zero tolerance policies, resulting in more youth suspended, expelled and referred to juvenile court with the harshest impact falling on youth of color. As a follow up to the February, 2003, Building Blocks study that illustrated the disproportionate impact of zero tolerance policies on Kentucky's students of color, this new study, "Northern Lights" released on April 22 shows that this trend can be reversed. This report highlights that out-of-school suspensions can be significantly decreased (over 50%) without compromising academic achievement. In fact, the report shows major increases in school achievement during this same period of time.
 

TX Parents and Advocates Say Too Many Schools Use Cops to Manage Classrooms - Since the 1997 version of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was released, educators and school officials have been calling police more often to handle "behavior problems" involving students with disabilities.

U.S. Connecticut and Michigan Will Help Develop Alternatives To Restraint - Three years ago, the Hartford Courant ran an investigative series into the restraint-related deaths of adults and children -- as young as 6 years of age -- in institutions housing people with mental illness and developmental disabilities. The team of reporters found that 142 such deaths occurred nationwide during the previous 10 years.

Behavior Problems Feed Childhood Obesity - Study finds overweight kids twice as likely to misbehave.

Suspending Disbelief, Moving Beyond Punishment to Promote Effective Interventions for Children with Mental or Emotional Disorders (Report, PDF format, May 2003) - Published by the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, this report documents the successful use of positive behavioral intervention programs throughout the country. Furthermore, it examines congressional intent regarding the treatment of children with behavior problems and, by examining administrative and court decisions interpreting these provisions, compares those intentions with actual implementation of the mandate. Available in PDF format (30 pages).

© 2004 Bridges4Kids ~ Designed & Developed by Jackie D. Igafo-Te'o ~ Page last updated: 02/18/2007