Imagine twelve-year-old you, sitting in the middle of Social Studies, watching in horror as one of your classmates has a violent outburst. Imagine the feeling of shock and horror as you watch that classmate physically beat your favorite teacher, knowing that you are no match to stop the attack. 

It may seem like the kind of scene created in the plot of a Hollywood film but scenarios like this play out in American classrooms every school year. This is a reality that many educators come face to face with all across the United States. It’s a reality that disrupts learning and creates safety issues for teachers and students. The impacts of this reality could be lessened with practical measures at the forefront of political debate in Nebraska. 

Policymakers and leaders in education throughout the state are debating the use of physical restraints in public schools within the region. Advocates justify restraining aggressive students citing that they ultimately make classrooms safer spaces for children to learn. Restraint systems have been used in schools and hospitals for years to aid practical and ethical crisis intervention. There is precedence for them to be implemented in a manner that creates a more stable atmosphere and promotes positive learning. 

To effectively practice these measures, it’s essential to understand and lean on the experience of how other educational institutions have implemented similar policies in the past. The Government of Western Australia provides an excellent case study for how teachers and school administrators can utilize physical restraint in the classroom under a series of guidelines for escalation. 

With proper training, a solid procedure plan in place, and an innate desire to be ethically sound in the classroom, Aussie teachers have utilized this tactic to minimize disruptive behaviors and promote an atmosphere of learning in schools. Nebraska’s Board of Education could similarly model their standard practices to empower educators and enable them to teach the students in their care effectively.  

Classroom management, alongside clear and consistent consequences for students who disrupt learning, can transform the way children learn in schools. A diverse population of students spanning varying backgrounds, religious ideologies, and parenting dynamics, combined with rules and laws in place that limit what teachers can say to the students in their care, makes the road to helping children navigate through emotional outbursts an uphill battle. Physical restraint is a necessary and vital way to reduce the impacts of aggressive classroom behavior. 

So long as clear and consistent boundaries are in place for students, teachers, staff, and administrators, physical restraints are an excellent tool within the educational system to limit violent behaviors. In contrast, aggressive students have an opportunity to calm down. 

Combined with proper support from school counselors and administrative professionals, these tools can create a better learning environment for all students and a safer work environment for those tasked with their care. 

We place trust in those who teach our children every day and owe it to them to help them create and maintain safe places to learn so that they can effectively do their jobs. It’s time to support education in Nebraska.