Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Releases Seclusion and Restrain Report

Thursday, May 2nd, 2024 -- 11:01 AM

(Corrinne Hess, Wisconsin Public Radio) There were more than 5,300 instances of seclusion and more than 6,300 cases of physical restraint last year in Wisconsin schools, according to new data from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

According to Corrinne Hess with Wisconsin Public Radio, among those cases, 1,868 children were secluded and 2,763 were physically restrained, although the numbers don’t indicate whether these events occurred simultaneously.

Drilling down further, data shows the majority of these children were in elementary school. Eighty percent of students secluded or restrained have individualized education programs, or IEPs, meaning they are special education students.

Overall, students with IEPs make up about 14 percent of Wisconsin’s school-age children. While seclusion and restraint cases are down about 8 percent from the 2021-22 school year, state Superintendent Jill Underly said every effort needs to be made to prevent any case.

“We must remember each of these reported incidents represents a traumatic lived experience, both for a student and for school staff,” Underly said in a written statement. “As progress continues toward our goal of limiting these tactics, our schools need additional support to train and educate staff around trauma-informed practices to help address the unique behavioral needs of students.”

Seclusion is when a student is put in a room or area where they are physically not able to leave. Restraint occurs when a student is restrained either by another person or by the use of devices such as straps, blanket wraps, or helmets.

These devices have to reduce the ability of a student to freely move their body or head. This also includes putting a child in a chair so the child cannot get free.

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