As public schools come under pressure to teach more children with behavioral disabilities, the use of restraint and seclusion has become a contentious issue. Faced with laws that make it more difficult to expel or suspend misbehaving special-education students, educators say they need to use harsh tactics sometimes to protect other children and teachers.
The danger comes when schools turn methods designed for extraordinary circumstances into routine disciplinary tools. The result can be a vicious cycle of punishment and rebellion, hurting the very children who were supposed to benefit from attending a mainstream school.