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Abuse in special education

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Abuse in special education includes the use of restraint and seclusion in special education settings for disabled students, but can also refer to students being threatened with violence or staff withholding food. This abuse often leaves students with trauma and can leave the parents feeling guilt for the abuse.[1][2][3][4]

Abuse in special education also includes physical and sexual abuse by educators and other staff members.[5]

Types of Abuse

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Aversives

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Special educators sometimes use aversive techniques as a way to change the behavior of disabled students.[6] Aversives used in special education include lemon juice, noxious odors, and electric shock.[7] Use of aversive techniques can be effective in behavior modification and is sometimes recommended for severe self-injurious behavior. However, there are significant concerns associated with its use, including "withdrawl, aggression, generalization, imitation, and negative self-statements."[8]

Restraints and seclusion

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Restraints are used in special education to prevent unwanted student behavior or to impose punishment.[6] Restraints can include tie-downs or forced holding.[6] Risks associated with restraint use in special education include physical and psychological injury to students and staff members.[9] Many students have gone home with bruises from being restrained by staff often without being properly reported and leaving the student with trauma.[1][10][11]

Although restraints can be used in general education settings, they are disproportionately used in special education. Research in the United States indicated that 80% of students who were restrained at school in the 2017-2018 school year received special education services.[12] Additionally, most identified cases of abuse or death resulting from physical restraint at school in the United States between 1990 and 2009 involved disabled students.[9]

Students are also locked in what are called seclusion rooms or padded cells. The U.S. Civil Rights Data Collection initiative defines seclusion as "the involuntary confinement of a student alone in a room or area from which the student is physically prevented from leaving."[12] In 2015, an 8-year-old student at a Maryland school was dragged down his school's hallways by three staff members and locked in a windowless seclusion room; he was later found laying in his own blood.[13][undue weight? – discuss] Research in the United States indicated that 80% of students who were subjected to seclusion at school in the 2017-2018 school year received special education services.[12]

Sexual abuse

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Research about abuse in disabled children indicates that many face sexual abuse while in educational settings.[5][6] Students with vision and hearing impairment in special education schools in Botswana reported sexual abuse including groping and rape.[5] The same study also reported physical abuse and financial exploitation.

Underlying causes

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Multiple factors contribute to the increased risk of abuse faced by disabled children in special educational settings, including:

  • Conditioning to "comply with authority"[6]
  • Perception of students as "easy targets"[6]
  • Students being unable to recognize abuse[6]
  • Students being unable to report abuse[6]
  • Limited access to information on sexual abuse prevention[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Waldrop, Hollie Silverman, Theresa (2019-08-19). "A former West Virginia teacher and 2 aides were arrested after alleged abuse was caught on secret recordings". CNN. Retrieved 2024-04-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Sterman, Joce; Brauer, Alex; Nejman, Andrea (2022-03-21). "Kids locked away, held down: Investigating 'seclusion & restraint' practices at schools". WZTV. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  3. ^ "'I'm not safe here': Schools ignore federal rules on restraint and seclusion". NPR. January 16, 2024.
  4. ^ "Civil Rights Division | Seclusion Enforcement – Recent Investigations". www.justice.gov. 2022-08-23. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  5. ^ a b c Shumba, Almon; and Abosi, Okey C. (2011-12-01). "The Nature, Extent and Causes of Abuse of Children with Disabilities in Schools in Botswana". International Journal of Disability, Development and Education. 58 (4): 373–388. doi:10.1080/1034912X.2011.626664. ISSN 1034-912X.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Legano, Lori A.; Desch, Larry W.; Messner, Stephen A.; Idzerda, Sheila; Flaherty, Emalee G.; COUNCIL ON CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT; COUNCIL ON CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES; Haney, Suzanne Breen; Sirotnak, Andrew P.; Gavril, Amy R.; Girardet, Rebecca Greenlee; Hoffert Gilmartin, Amanda Bird; Laskey, Antoinette; Mohr, Bethany Anne; Nienow, Shalon Marie (2021-05-01). "Maltreatment of Children With Disabilities". Pediatrics. 147 (5): e2021050920. doi:10.1542/peds.2021-050920. ISSN 0031-4005.
  7. ^ Lyon, Philip, E. 2013. “Aversive Control.” In Encyclopedia of Special Education: A Reference for the Education of Children, Adolescents, and Adults with Disabilities and Other Exceptional Individuals, edited by Cecil R. Reynolds, Kimberly J. Vannest, and Elaine Fletcher-Janzen, 4th ed. Wiley. https://search.credoreference.com/articles/Qm9va0FydGljbGU6NTk1MDky?aid=107224.
  8. ^ Lewis, Allison, and Louis Lanunziata J. 2013. “Aversive Stimulus.” In Encyclopedia of Special Education: A Reference for the Education of Children, Adolescents, and Adults with Disabilities and Other Exceptional Individuals, edited by Cecil R. Reynolds, Kimberly J. Vannest, and Elaine Fletcher-Janzen, 4th ed. Wiley. https://search.credoreference.com/articles/Qm9va0FydGljbGU6NTk1MjAy?aid=107224.
  9. ^ a b Dennison, Andrea (2013). "Physical restraint use with children in schools". In Reynolds, Cecil R.; Vannest, Kimberly J.; Fletcher-Janzen, Elaine (eds.). Encyclopedia of Special Education: A Reference for the Education of Children, Adolescents, and Adults with Disabilities and Other Exceptional Individuals. Wiley.
  10. ^ "Thirteen-year-old activist with autism wants to close seclusion rooms at schools". NBC News. 2018-11-23. Retrieved 2024-05-19.
  11. ^ Chieze, Marie; Hurst, Samia; Kaiser, Stefan; Sentissi, Othman (2019-07-16). "Effects of Seclusion and Restraint in Adult Psychiatry: A Systematic Review". Frontiers in Psychiatry. 10: 491. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00491. ISSN 1664-0640. PMC 6673758. PMID 31404294.
  12. ^ a b c "2017-18 CIVIL RIGHTS DATA COLLECTION: THE USE OF RESTRAINT AND SECLUSION ON CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES IN K-12 SCHOOLS" (PDF). U.S. Department of Education. October 2020.
  13. ^ Lambert, Diana. "Lawsuit challenges use of restraint, seclusion in California special education school". EdSource. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
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