I don’t understand why the state or courts can’t make a rule saying the electric shocks at the Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC) have to be limited to just serious behavior to only include self injurious behavior, physically attacking others, and property destruction. Yes each student has to be court approved to receive shocks but the courts just let JRC shock the students for every little behavior. Although JRC says they need to shock the students for violent behavior reports show that they have used it for things very innocuous including motor tics (involuntary movement), waving hand in front of face, out of seat/bed without permission, just basically anything staff find annoying.
There are other ways to handle violent behavior, including restraints. But people need to be treated as they are valuable. Talking a person down when they get upset is best when possible, so they don’t have to get to the point where they need to be restrained or shocked. But shocking someone when they are angry is not always effective at stopping a person. Restraint will always stop someone, but it can take a lot of force and at least several people. Tasers are used by people to stop someone. But the problem with tasers is the same, it is to gain compliance through pain. You may be able to stop someone with a taser, but if they are very angry at you they might just fight right through the pain and attack you anyway. In mental hospitals sedative drugs are also used. They ether ask the patient to take them orally or inject it in a muscle. But drugs take time to work, and sometimes have side effects.
I would love to know if there were cases where they used a shock to try to stop someone at JRC from acting out only for it to fail. Again you physically restrain someone then they are physically unable to act out, but you use pain and it can just make them more angry.
Also because of the weird ways the laws are set up residents at JRC admitted after a certain date (October 2011 I believe) are not allowed to be shocked at all. So how do they handle them? One might ask.
Should shocks even be used at all? Some parents and most impotently even some JRC students are in favor of electric shocks. However some students say there experience at JRC was torture and are vehemently against the shocks.
Outside JRC some people do voluntarily use electric shocks as a way to try to stop unwanted behavior this is refereed to as “Aversion Therapy”, and sometimes other aversives are used, for example a drug that makes you sick and throw up if you drink alcohol.
Another technique people use for unwanted behavior is called “thought stopping” where a person tells themself “STOP” and pictures a stop sign when they have unwanted thoughts or behaviors. Personally I use a rubber band that I snap when I get upset and act out (yell and/or swear), it doesn’t really hurt, but it helps me to stop. Many people have used the rubber band technique to try to help them with thoughts or behaviors.
Behavior therapy works best though when you are doing it with the client working together with them. That’s why it is best when the client is included always. They need to be part of the discussion. It should be about helping them to improve, not convenience for the staff. This includes any form of treatment, medication, copping techniques, and behavior intervention. There needs to be a discussion with the client. And they need to feel free to voice there opinions and concerns.
StopJRC 