By Christopher Feltner, Training Architect

People love clickbait headlines! In a world where so many things are competing for our attention, often articles use enticing headlines to draw us in for an experience that may or may not deliver. While I’m aware the title of this blog may seem like one of these attempts to draw you in (and it is to a degree), my purpose is to answer a question that someone posed in person.

We were having a discussion during training and debating about restraint use and restrictive practices when someone said, “Yeah, but you hate restraint! So…” The context and tone of this response was implying that of course I would argue against restraint because I’m anti-restraint. Maybe this will come as a surprise, but I don’t hate physical restraint. I have been trained in different crisis intervention systems over the years, and I’ve used restraint frequently in the past. That being said, I do have issues with specific aspects of restraint use.

ISSUE #1: Criteria

Training companies that teach physical restraint techniques have the same basic criteria for their use. The language goes something like this: Imminent/Immediate threat of harm to self or others where it can’t be managed any other way. On the surface, it sounds good! I only use physical restraint if it’s a dangerous situation where someone is going to get hurt if I don’t use a restraint.

The challenge with the broad generalization of a threat being imminent/immediate is that it depends on the staff in the situation. We all have different capacities for how much we can handle; how long we can function in our Forebrain before the Amygdala takes over. What is an immediate threat to me may look different from you; and the next person; and so on. Statistically, most people have never been in a physical altercation where they’ve had to physically defend themselves.

ISSUE #2: Practice Time

Training anyone in complex physical skills under calm circumstances, at a relatively slow pace, in 2-4 days, then certifying that they can use the techniques correctly under emotional and physical stress when they or someone else can be hurt is faulty. We teach that “learning occurs when exposure is repeated, powerful and/or reinforced.” People learn at different rates and have different strengths and limitations that I have consistently seen play out more in learning physical skills than concepts. Part of the ownership of this issue belongs to the program teaching the skills while the other part belongs to the organization using the program.

My experience in programs teaching physical restraint is that they offer a Train-the-Trainer model (same as Ukeru) for organizations with minimum training requirements that have to be met, but the reality is that people need way more training and practice in physical skills than the bare minimum to be proficient and perform their best under duress. This part of the ownership belongs to the organization using the program.

ISSUE #3: Individual Mindset

Mindset is one of the most difficult issues, in my opinion. Let us say that when we wake up tomorrow, everyone has the same threshold as it applies to the criteria for restraint use; all organizations have constant training and practice of these physical techniques. Even if these issues were eliminated, it still wouldn’t address a person’s mindset.

If I have a punitive mindset, then I may use a physical restraint even when a restraint isn’t an imminent/immediate threat or could’ve been managed in a less restrictive way. Our mindset becomes our approach. During Ukeru training, I often encounter this question, “How long do I block before I use a restraint?” There is an unspoken expectation in this question that no matter what, a restraint is going to be used. The honest answer to that question is, “As long as you’re able to maintain safety by using blocking and distance.” My answer to that question is no different than what the criteria is supposed to be with restraint use.

There is a lot more that can be said, and I’ve taken a deeper dive into mindsets with Self-Fulfilling Prophecy series of blogs, but I will stop with these three issues. To reiterate, I don’t hate physical restraint. However, I have a strong adversity to how haphazardly it’s taught (and practiced post-training) and how overly used it is in our field.

“If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail” – Abraham Maslow. It is post-time to consider other tools!