Use of Restraints Coming Under Fire in New Jersey
By injuheis on June 9, 2010
New Jersey, which allows both public and private schools to restrain unruly children with disabilities, is coming under fire. Last year, congressional investigators found hundreds of cases of abuse and at least 20 deaths related to seclusion and restraints since 1990 in United States schools. An app.com report mentions that the investigators found cases of disabled children as young as five being bound, held down on the floor or locked in rooms for hours at a time for small offenses.
New Jersey is one of 19 states that does not have laws or regulations dealing with restraints or seclusion in schools. In addition, schools don’t have to report those incidents, maintain written policies on how to handle such problems, or even notify parents if their children are restrained.
Employees of New Jersey schools are allowed to keep children confined in rooms until they settle down, and can use bear hugs and other physical moves to handle unruly children. School employees can also use techniques to control autistic children who injure themselves, including spraying water or chemicals at the children, putting hot sauce in their mouths, or snapping them with rubber bands.
Some say these techniques are necessary as a last resort. However, a bill with support from both Democrats and Republicans establishes national standards for the use of restraints and other coercion in United States schools. The bill limits the use of these methods and bans the use of locked rooms, restraining straps, and drugs not prescribed by a doctor. Schools will also be more accountable than they currently are in terms of the use of restraint.
Similar to New Jersey, incidents of restraint injury in Maryland take place far too often. If your child has been a victim of a MD restraint injury or a death, please contact Maryland restraint injury attorney Steven H. Heisler, “The Injury Lawyer”. He will work hard on behalf of your child to ensure that his or her rights are protected. Call 877-228-4878 today for more information on Maryland restraint injuries and your legal options.
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