Seclusion and restraints: Why the Bible prohibits seclusion (and severely limits restraints)

Seclusion and restraints are a hot topic among autism rights professionals. As far as the debate between autism awareness and acceptance, I am in the middle, meaning it depends what the individual perceives about their individual autism. The DSM-5 does allow for autism to be a simple cognitive style if it does not impair life functioning. In my case, it does deeply impair functioning, not in behavioral issues, but ability to seek out a career that I am otherwise knowledgeable about. I would make a good caseworker for Children and Youth Services, but otherwise have poor social skills, meaning social navigational skills. I would have a lot of cases to organize, and be bad at organizing them. My IQ is 109, and could be higher, except it is one thing to be book smart, but it is another thing be able to put book smarts into practice. If you are otherwise disorganized and socially averse that you would be fired from your dream job, then your autism IS a mental illness, but judge for yourself.

But certain rights are for ALL children, not just those with autism. "Autism" is just a label that emphasizes the child's right to be free from violence, no matter who they are. Many with autism are unlikely to be spanked or punished in traditional ways these days - it blows up in the parents' face - but are often secluded or restrained.

Seclusion is never acceptable for a child. Seclusion is basically putting a child in a padded room, meaning an isolated room. There are multiple reasons that a child may need to stay at a psychiatric ward, and not all of these involve aggressive behaviors. Children are people too, and people suffer from mental illness such as depression, PTSD, and so forth. Hospital settings are generally for children who repeatedly endanger children and others. Children who have mental illness are more likely to have mental illness, and many types of mental illness are triggered by punishment in the home, and linked to a trauma somehow.

Restraint is necessary for some children, meaning only to the degree necessary to prevent death or bodily injury. Otherwise, force against the child is sin and a moral crime. It says in Ephesians 6:4 KJV:

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is παροργίζο (Latin: parorgizo) and refers to the Eighth Commandment, and specifically damages against the individual, namely to the slightest of personal slights against a child, that are imposed willfully or recklessly upon said child. Thus, any entitled treatment of the child leading to damages is abuse, with entitlement being denoted in the New Testament by the Greek root word πλεονέκτης (Latin: pleonektes) and refers to not only wanting things from children, but wanting them to the point of seeking to impose said want onto a child, leading to theft/abuse. Abuse is theft, and theft is damages, thus abuse is damages imposed, with "damages" referring to harm marked as evidence of a crime. 

The Greek root word translated "discipline" is παιδεία (Latin: paideia) and refers to the chastening of the Lord, but as a parent and not the child, on the receiving end, as discipline is for parents to be subject to, and children to emulate. It is knowing one's evil nature, and working against it, avoiding evil tendencies in parenting, in a way that centers oneself in the Lord, in relation to one's child, with the child being an extension of God. It is allowing oneself to be chastened in a way that allows the child to be listened to and validated, grieving from limits and growing from there. The Greek root word translated "admonition" is νουθεσία (Latin: nouthesia) and refers to setting boundaries and limits with one's child, meaning the rare "no" while otherwise teaching by example and verbal instruction. Discipline involves behaviorism with yourself, not the child, while forming a healthy parent-child bond where the child feel safe with parents, and listens out of that.

Parenting in ancient Hebrew society was attachment-based in nature, meaning children co-slept next to mothers frequently. It was normative for children, even children as old as 5-6, to be held on their mother's back, so they didn't get into something they shouldn't, such as a rattlesnake or a scorpion. Children ranged next to their mother otherwise, and had free reign apart from danger, when the mother did pick up the child and move the child. That is all that needs to be done as a restraint.

Restraint should only be done if the child is in danger of death or serious bodily injury, meaning simply removing a child from a busy street, and either placing them on the sidewalk or continually holding them gently until their will to endanger themselves goes away, and they move on to another interest. Striking the child then is completely out of line, as all it takes to get them out of the street is picking them up, and when they don't get it, they don't get it, and won't until their brains mature some more. This is why Israelite mothers carried their children even in what would be the preschool years in our society, and I would recommend that, if possible, as an advocate for children's rights. Unfortunately, that advice might be unworkable in some situations, as parents need to get back to work, and with children starting work at age 5...Restraint should only use enough force to remove the child from the situation, meaning spanking the child afterwards is where to draw the line at abuse, as then it involves using an entitled fit of anger in a parent to control a child.

Some children are so violent that they need to be hospitalized. Chemical restraints, namely chasing a child down the hallway with a syringe, is sometimes necessary, with some children. It is not ideal in any sense of the word, but is necessary for the safety of others in the facility. The child isn't physically harmed, but simply goes out like a lightswitch, and wakes up calm. A proper hospital setting, however, should provide the proper schedule for such a child...a child with mood disorders such as childhood bipolar disorder shouldn't be enrolled in sports or other extracurricular activities. They need a very loose, free schedule, that comes with NO obligations to any club or entity. Children, as an entire group, should be allowed to play freely, meaning no excessive obligations such as sports, clubs at school, clubs at the youth center, and so forth. Children need to learn to structure themselves as a whole, and free play does just that. With a child with mental illness, you may have to have no obligations for them whatsoever. They usually are the type of child to start a project, and not finish it. This does change with the proper medication, meaning they might have a creative streak, but all medication does is organize it so they can maybe make a living off of it, instead of just be something they start but doesn't finish. Creative traits in children with bipolar disorder are sort of lumped in with the mood disturbances, but are separate from them, chemically speaking in the brain.

We, as parents and adults, want no child to have to be restrained. But, if they are running into the street, there is no choice but to restrain them to the most minimal degree possible for their own good, without "reinforcing" punishment. Such is legal in countries that ban spanking, but if you strike the child to "make sure", that is abuse, because "make sure" is a parent rationalizing with their anger. The goal with children is not to get angry at all, except maybe at a low level where you let the unfair thoughts about your child float by, but focus on parenting instead of actively resenting your child with vengeful attitudes. 

Let the parents BURN! Let the entitled parents who provoke children to anger SUFFER! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!