End Seclusion And Restraint In School
Final signature count: 11,292
11,292 signatures toward our 30,000 goal
Sponsor: The Literacy Site
Seclusion and restraint are not effective methods of punishment, and often result in negative outcomes for all. Take a stand!

in some American schools, disabled children are still being physically punished by seclusion and restraint1.
These are severe punishments, both psychologically damaging and physically dangerous to children2.
The scenarios vary, but typically restraint and seclusion are used to try to control unwieldy behavior, often seen among disabled children.
There are other ways to work with children who have high support needs that don’t involve tossing them in a dark room alone while they are extremely distressed (seclusion) or tying them down on a table (restraint)3. Physical punishment can be traumatic for both the children experiencing it and staff administering the punishment.
Further, according to the Office of Civil Rights, these methods of punishment are used disproportionately against marginalized people. While disabled students are only 13% of the population, they represent 80% of those who experience restraint. Black and Indigenous students and Students of Color also represent a disproportionate amount of the children experiencing restraint and seclusion4.
It is a misconception that secluding and restraining a student who is “acting out” will keep other students and staff safer. This is simply not true5.
Many if not most restraint and seclusion practices have been shown to be ineffectual at best, and sometimes fatal. A report from the federal Government Accountability Office (GAO) described multiple allegations of severe abuses in schools around the nation. These included a 5-year-old allegedly being tied to chairs with bungee cords and duct tape by a teacher and suffering broken arms and nosebleeds, the death of a 7-year-old after being held facedown for hours by school staff, and a 13-year-old reportedly hanging himself in a seclusion room after prolonged confinement6.
Even when children’s lives are not at risk, research has shown that restraint and seclusion may inflict trauma on students7.
Conversely, programs that have reduced or eliminated seclusion and restraint have realized a number of positive outcomes including reduced youth and staff injuries, reduced staff turnover, higher staff satisfaction, reduced lengths of stay, sustained success in the community after discharge, and significant cost savings8.
The Keeping All Students Safe Act (KASSA)9 was introduced to end these practices in any school that receives federal funding. Sign the petition and take a stand for children!