Exploring Reasons Motivating the Use of Restraint and Seclusion by Residential Workers in Residential Treatment Centers: A Qualitative Analysis of Official Reports

In situations where the immediate safety of children or others is at risk, residential workers are authorized to use specific measures intended as last resort, namely restraint and seclusion (R&S). This study sought identify detail reasons invoked by when justifying their decision restrain seclude a child. Researchers reviewed coded 628 anonymized official R&S reports written from two different treatment centers over 14 months between September 2015 May 2017. used qualitative thematic analysis analyze reports. found nine that they regrouped into four themes follows: justified based on own perceptions 1) danger associated with children’s affects behaviors; 2) obligation yield external constraints; 3) benefits for children, 4) demands imposed professional culture. in justify decisions not always consistent being methods resort. Specifically, appear be missing training organizational resources needed alternative forms intervention.