There are three forms of restraints used in school settings: physical, chemical, and mechanical.

1: Physical restraints restrict a person’s ability to move their arms, legs, neck, or torso freely by holding a part of their body.

2: Mechanical restraints restrict movement through a device, such as zip-ties or handcuffs.

3: Chemical restraints restrict movement through some form of a medicinal sedative or agent such as pepper spray. 

This legislation will protect students from unneeded physical harm and emotional effects. Restraining children from nonviolent offenses negatively impacts their academic and emotional development. Children that have been restrained often have trouble sleeping, and as a result, they cannot focus in class and will be prone to causing further disruptions. 

It relieves them from the undue responsibility of deciding when it is appropriate to use restraints or chemical irritants on disruptive students. Officers who witness a child undergoing trauma are at risk of developing vicarious trauma, which manifests in post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms including anxiety and depression. Limiting traumatic experiences between peace officers and children is just as beneficial to peace officers as it is to children.

There is not a cost associated with this policy. The Texas Legislature has looked at the bill and determined that there is no fiscal cost.

No, it only applies to students whose actions are non-violent. Possession of a weapon or a serious threat endangering the safety of those in the classroom would be considered violent actions and this policy would not be applied in those instances.

Non-violent actions include emotional outbursts that disrupt the class. Non-violent violations of school policy, such as dress code, would also forbid child restraint. 

There is not a uniform process of restraint at this time. Not all school districts have policies underlining that restraints cannot be used in nonviolent situations. 

Children would need to be restrained if there is a serious risk that they would physically harm themselves or others. This policy does not apply to children that threaten to harm themselves or others; it only applies to children that are restrained from committing nonviolent actions.

Educators are not resistant to the effects of restraints in academic settings; rather, it affects their mental health and whether they continue teaching. “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 school for students with autism.

The prevalence of occupational support, burnout, and vicarious trauma among teachers is significantly higher in institutions where the school administration failed to implement trauma-informed care than in schools where trauma-informed care is used for students with behavioral challenges. Studies show that restraints trigger sleep and learning difficulties in children so that NKIC will improve student performance and behavior in the classroom. 

This policy only applies to elementary-age students who are 10 years and younger. Students older than this are not included in the policy. 

Law enforcement and SRO, when called to address a disruptive student, will not be allowed to restrain the student if they are 10 or younger unless they pose a credible danger to the safety of their peers or themselves. 

No Kids in Cuffs will improve school safety through the process of peaceful de-escalation of situations that do not require children to be restrained in the first place. This includes offenses such as being loud and disruptive during class or violating the school dress code. 

Several states are mandating a specialized curriculum that all school-based law enforcement must take. Although research on the impact of de-escalation training for police is still needed, some researchers have recommended training for law enforcement to use verbal and other techniques to defuse situations.

In Texas, a 2019 law requires school-based law enforcement to complete 16 hours of additional training that includes child development, positive behavioral interventions, conflict resolution techniques, de-escalation techniques, and techniques for limiting the use of force, including the use of physical, mechanical, and chemical restraints.

No Kids in Cuffs does not apply to private schools and homeschooling. It is only applicable to public and charter schools.