Review of State Policies Concerning the Use of Physical Restraint Procedures in Schools

Abstract

Recent injuries and fatalities among students due to the use of physical restraint procedures in schools, and the resulting media attention and litigation have started to place pressure on many state and local education agencies to develop policies or guidelines concerning their use in schools. The authors investigated existing state policies and guidelines concerning the use of physical restraint procedures in educational settings across the United States. Currently, thirty-one states were identified with established guidance concerning the use of these crisis intervention procedures. Several states are either developing or revising their existing policies or guidelines. The authors reviewed the policies and guidelines which were identified in order to compare common content elements found in these documents, and make recommendations for states, schools or districts interested in developing their own policies or guidelines.