教師工作中令人畏懼的一部分：約束和隔離學(xué)生

教師工作中令人畏懼的一部分：約束和隔離學(xué)生

Earlier this year, an NPR investigation with WAMU and Oregon Public Broadcasting found deep problems in how school districts report restraint and seclusion. Following that investigation, NPR reached out to educators about their experiences with these practices.

今年早些時候，美國國家公共電臺與華盛頓互助大學(xué)和俄勒岡公共廣播公司聯(lián)合進(jìn)行的一項(xiàng)調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)，學(xué)區(qū)在報告約束與隔離（學(xué)生）方面存在深層次的問題。在那次調(diào)查之后，美國國家公共電臺聯(lián)系了教育工作者，詢問他們在這些實(shí)踐中的經(jīng)驗(yàn)。

Brent McGinn spent a year early in his career working with students who could sometimes hurt themselves.

布倫特·麥克金在他職業(yè)生涯的早期花了一年時間與那些有時會傷害到自己的學(xué)生打交道。

The special education teacher recalls a student who would sometimes hit his head on the tile floor, full force. When that happened, McGinn faced a tough decision. "If I put a pad between that kid and the tile, it's going to soften it, but it's not going to stop him from full-force hitting his head into something," he says. "Whereas restraint would."

這位特殊教育老師回憶說，有個學(xué)生有時會用頭狠狠地撞到瓷磚地板上。當(dāng)這種情況發(fā)生時，麥克金面臨著一個艱難的決定。他說:“如果我在孩子和瓷磚之間放一塊墊子，它就不會那么硬了，但不會阻止他狠狠地撞到一些東西上。”“而約束會阻止它。”

Restraint and seclusion in schools can mean anything from holding or using restraints on a student to isolating them in a separate room or space. According to federal guidance, these methods are meant to be a last resort, when students are believed to be a danger to themselves or others. These practices are most often used on students with disabilities or special needs.

學(xué)校里的約束和隔離可以指任何事情，從控制或?qū)W(xué)生進(jìn)行約束到把他們隔離在一個單獨(dú)的房間或空間。根據(jù)聯(lián)邦政府的指導(dǎo)，當(dāng)學(xué)生被認(rèn)為對自己或他人構(gòu)成危險時，這些方法是最后的手段。這些做法最常用于殘疾學(xué)生或有特殊需要的學(xué)生。

In situations where students or staff are in danger, McGinn says, "restraints and seclusion can be a useful tool to keep people safe."

在學(xué)生或工作人員處于危險的情況下，麥克金說，“約束和隔離可能是保護(hù)人們安全的有用工具。”

But that can leave educators in a tough spot. Many told NPR that using restraint and seclusion is one of the worst parts of their job; they say these methods can be mentally and physically painful for both them and their students.

但這可能會讓教育工作者陷入困境。許多人告訴美國國家公共電臺，（對學(xué)生進(jìn)行）約束和隔離是他們工作中最糟糕的部分之一;他們說這些方法對他們和他們的學(xué)生來說都是精神上和身體上的痛苦。

"I would lock myself in the bathroom at work and cry, and I know that I wasn't the only one," says D, who spent a year working as a teaching assistant at a private school for students with autism. (D uses they/them pronouns. We aren't using their full name, or identifying where they worked, because they fear retaliation from their former employer.)

“我工作的時候會把自己鎖在廁所里哭泣，我知道我不是唯一一個這樣做的人，”D說，他在一所私立學(xué)校做了一年的助教，專門為自閉癥學(xué)生服務(wù)。(D用來代替他們。我們沒有透露他們的全名，也沒有透露他們在哪里工作，因?yàn)樗麄儞?dān)心遭到前雇主的報復(fù)。)

Parents with children who have been secluded or restrained have said the experience was traumatic. But that isn't always the case — one Oregon elementary schooler said he once had an aide whose restraint techniques helped him calm down.

有孩子被隔離或約束的父母說，這種經(jīng)歷是創(chuàng)傷性的。但情況并非總是如此——俄勒岡州一名小學(xué)生說，他曾經(jīng)有一位助手，他的約束方法能幫助他冷靜下來。

Still, a 2009 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, a federal watchdog, found hundreds of cases of alleged abuse and even death when restraint and seclusion were used on school children.

盡管如此，聯(lián)邦監(jiān)管機(jī)構(gòu)美國政府問責(zé)局在2009年發(fā)布的一份報告中發(fā)現(xiàn)，在對在校兒童實(shí)施約束和隔離時，存在數(shù)百起虐待甚至死亡的指控。

Many states prohibit the use of seclusion or restraint as punishment or discipline. And though there are federal guidelines around the use of these methods in schools, there are no federal laws. Past efforts to restrict the use of restraints and ban the use of seclusion nationwide have failed in Congress.

許多州禁止使用隔離或約束作為懲罰或訓(xùn)導(dǎo)。盡管在學(xué)校使用這些方法有聯(lián)邦指導(dǎo)方針，但沒有聯(lián)邦法律。過去國會在全國范圍內(nèi)限制使用約束措施和禁止使用隔離措施的努力失敗了。

The definitions vary in different states and school districts, as do the rules around how educators can use these methods. In Massachusetts, for example, prone restraint — holding a student face-down on the ground — is only allowed in very specific situations. Other states ban the practice altogether. Arkansas puts limits on the size of seclusion rooms, while Oklahoma advises, but does not require, that students be permitted bathroom breaks and water during seclusion.

不同的州和學(xué)區(qū)對這些方法的定義不同，教育工作者使用這些方法的規(guī)則也不同。例如，在馬薩諸塞州，俯臥撐——讓學(xué)生臉朝下趴在地上——只有在非常特殊的情況下才允許。其他州則完全禁止這種做法。阿肯色州對隔離室的大小有限制，而俄克拉荷馬州建議，但不要求，學(xué)生在隔離期間可以上廁所和喝水。

Some states also rely on a student's past behavior to determine the practices they use. Records like individualized education programs (IEPs) and behavior intervention plans (BIPs) sometimes spell out if and when restraint or seclusion may be used on a particular child.

一些州還依賴學(xué)生過去的行為來決定他們使用的做法。諸如個性化教育項(xiàng)目和行為干預(yù)計(jì)劃等記錄有時會詳細(xì)說明是否以及何時可以對特定的兒童使用約束或隔離措施。

"I just never felt fully comfortable or prepared"

“我只是從來沒有感到完全的舒適和有準(zhǔn)備”

D says they avoided restraining students as much as possible, though other educators in their school did regularly use restraint.

D說他們盡量避免約束學(xué)生，盡管他們學(xué)校的其他教育工作者經(jīng)常約束學(xué)生。

"Even though I received the training for [restraint], I just never felt fully comfortable or prepared to do that," they tell NPR. They say restraint crossed a physical boundary that they weren't comfortable with. "It just seems strange to be so imposing on somebody else's body."

他們告訴美國國家公共電臺(NPR):“盡管我接受了（如何）約束（學(xué)生）的訓(xùn)練，但我從來沒有感到完全舒服，也沒有為此做好準(zhǔn)備。”他們說，約束跨越了他們感到不舒服的物理邊界。“對別人的身體施加這么大的壓力，這似乎很奇怪。”

Ben Travis, a social and emotional learning specialist in Fort Worth, Texas, says, "There's a tension within me of knowing that if I am to restrain a student, then I'm essentially putting forth a situation that's going to create trauma for that student." He says the decision to restrain students is not always as clear-cut as some training or school officials make it out to be.

德克薩斯州沃斯堡的社會和情感學(xué)習(xí)專家本·特拉維斯說，“我內(nèi)心有一種緊張感，因?yàn)槲抑溃绻乙s束一個學(xué)生，那么我實(shí)際上是在制造一個會給那個學(xué)生造成創(chuàng)傷的情況。”他說，約束學(xué)生的決定并不總是像一些培訓(xùn)或?qū)W校官員所說的那樣明確。

Travis says he also doesn't believe in leaving students in isolation for extended periods of time — he says he doesn't see it as an effective tool and he doesn't want to create, or recreate, trauma for them.

特拉維斯說，他也不贊成讓學(xué)生長時間處于孤立狀態(tài)。他說，他不認(rèn)為這是一種有效的工具，他不想給他們制造或再制造創(chuàng)傷。

"I haven't seen that create good results," he says, either in student behavior or their relationships with educators.

他說:“我還沒有看到這能產(chǎn)生好的結(jié)果。”無論是在學(xué)生行為方面，還是在他們與教育工作者的關(guān)系方面。

Educators tell NPR that restraint and seclusion can take a physical and emotional toll on them.

教育工作者告訴美國國家公共電臺(NPR)，越是和隔離可能會對他們的身心造成傷害。

"I've been punched in the face more times than I could remember. I've been hit in the head with chairs."

“我的臉被打了很多次，我都記不清楚了。我的頭被椅子砸了。”

Many educators say their restraint and seclusion training — which is often provided by schools — focuses on de-escalation, in order to avoid situations where someone could get hurt.

許多教育工作者表示，他們的約束和隔離訓(xùn)練——通常由學(xué)校提供——側(cè)重于減少沖突，以避免出現(xiàn)有人可能受傷的情況。

Most of the teachers who spoke to NPR say they tried to note every instance of seclusion and restraint through official school channels. They say the documentation protected them from possible lawsuits or other misunderstandings, and it helped them keep track of student behavior so they could learn what did and didn't work.

大多數(shù)接受美國國家公共電臺采訪的教師表示，他們試圖通過學(xué)校官方渠道記錄下每一個隔離和約束（學(xué)生）的事例。他們說，這些文件保護(hù)他們免受可能的訴訟或其他誤解，并幫助他們跟蹤學(xué)生的行為，以便他們可以了解什么是有效的，什么是無效的。