3. What are your views on restraint?
In research conducted by the Office of the Children's Rights Director for England (Ref: 2004), children explained that it is important to try and avoid restraint.
Read what children said below:
Children talking about what should and shouldn't happen during a restraint:
Restraint should never involve pain.
Staff should know how to do a restraint without hurting people and getting more out of control.
Restraint should calm you down, not make you angrier.
Children talking about how being restrained made them feel:
Staff need to understand that some children have experienced abuse and may not like to be touched by an adult.
Restraint may make you want to get your own back - therefore it is important to have the opportunity to talk about what happened and why.
Restraint can make children feel claustrophobic and panicky.
Restraint also affects the people watching the restraint.
Key messages from the young people:
Restraint is sometimes necessary - but only when someone is likely to get hurt or property is likely to get seriously damaged.
It should not be used just because someone is messing about.
Something quite small, or seen as unfair, can trigger a build-up.
It should not be used as a punishment.
Don't let things build up to danger level.
We need to know that we might be restrained.
Deal with the initial problem well so that restraint can be avoided.
Staff need to be properly trained.
Think of alternative ways to take the heat out of the situation.