Document Type
Thesis
Degree Comments
Submitted to the College of Graduate Studies Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, Massachusetts In partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree of Master of Science in Criminal Justice
Degree Program
Criminal Justice
Degree Type
Master of Science in Criminal Justice
Abstract
The purpose of this research study was to investigate the moral and legal issues around physically restraining students in Massachusetts public schools. As Massachusetts law is written, the use of restraints on a student should be the last possible resort. However, this thesis used data on restraint use from the Massachusetts Department of Education and a survey of school administrators to gain a better understanding of the 38,994 student restraints that were used in 2016-2017 school year. Findings of this study include that Hispanic and African-American students were more likely to attend schools that used restraints than those that did not. Also, students who were classified as high-needs, economically disadvantaged and disabled were more likely to attend schools that used restraints than schools that did not.
Committee/Advisor(s)
Dr. Jennifer Hartsfield
Dr. Michael DeValve
Dr. Emily Brissette
Recommended Citation
Hall, Elyce. (2020). Restraints in Massachusetts Public Schools. In BSU Master’s Theses and Projects. Item 88.
Available at https://vc.bridgew.edu/theses/88
Copyright © 2020 Elyce Hall
Included in
Civil Rights and Discrimination Commons, Criminal Law Commons, Disability and Equity in Education Commons, Social Justice Commons, State and Local Government Law Commons