Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Where Do Teachers Draw the Line When it Comes to Restraining Students?

A story from West Palm Beach, FL posted at WPEC News 12 - News12Now.
A local mom has reached out to News 12 after she says a school went overboard while restraining her child.
Isaiah Moore came home from Oak Hammock K-8 last April looking like he had just been in a fight. But the autistic boy's injuries didn't come from a scuffle, he was restrained by a school staffer.
Moore's mother obtained a tape from a security camera at the school. She says it shows the 7-year-old being forced into a room, where she believes her son was violently restrained.
A few moments later, the video shows the disabled boy emerging from the room with school staffers and being dragged down the hallway by a behavior analyst. The boy is holding his back, as if he were in pain.
Moore says her son was unjustly restrained.
The forceful action left the 7-year-old with injuries, including many bruises on his arms and a busted lip. The boy's mother says he was restrained for simply walking out of his classroom.
Moore is demanding the school board change it's restraining policy and she's taking it all the way to the State Board of Education.
What do you think?
Watch the video...

I don't see any inappropriate behavior in the video. It's been my experience that many injuries that occur when a person is being restrained are self inflicted. I'm not saying that the child was not injured by the school authorities, only that the video doesn't show anything inappropriate and that it's not unheard-of for a child to hurt himself while resisting. Teachers need to be able to deal with unruly children without worrying whether or not the child is going to hurt himself. It's a fine line that has to be walked.

4 comments:

MADD said...

That's because you arent watching the video. How disgusting you are preaching God's word yet you have judged a small child you know nothing about. This child was abused according to the photos. Judge and be Judged!

Sopater said...

I've seen the video. Perhaps you could tell us what part of the video shows the abuse. I didn't say that the child wasn't abused, only that I didn't see anything in the video that would qualify as abusive, and that injuries obtained during restraint are not uncommon when an individual is violently resisting.

I don't judge the child. I only contend that the case is weak.

Anonymous said...

What part of the video do you see the child violently (as you call it) resisting? The reporter said what you are watching is NOT the restraining. What a hypocrite ......please by all means continue to pass Judgement on what you know in part.

Sopater said...

Good response. Since you can't support the claim that the child was abused, you've decided that it is appropriate to use ad hominem attacks and put words into my mouth. Please feel free to comment again when you have something substantial to add to the debate.