“Stop Hurting Kids” Campaign Aims to Prevent Seclusion and Restraint Tactics in Schools

Stop Hurting Kids is a national campaign to end
restraint and seclusion abuse in schools. These “strategies” are often used
against children with autism and developmental disabilities. The campaign was
developed to combat abusive practices that can lead to physical injury, trauma,
and death. For too long, students across the U.S. have been at risk of
restraint and seclusion techniques that have been proven to hold no educational
or therapeutic value, despite evidence-based, positive. The Stop Hurting Kids
campaign seeks to spark a public dialogue about restraint and seclusion in
schools, elevate the grassroots movement that has called for the end of these
practices for years, and gain support for the adoption of practices and
policies that maintain a learning environment free from the threat of these
abuses. Stop Hurting Kids was developed through the combined efforts of
advocacy, disability, social justice, and mental health organizations. These
organizations are united in their resolve to eliminate restraint and seclusion
abuse in schools, and in bringing greater awareness to this issue through a
national advocacy campaign.