Catharsis, Containment and Physical Restraint in Residential Child Care
An article by Laura Steckley which explores the relationship between physical restraint and catharsis in residential child care has been selected as Editor’s Choice in the current issue of the British Journal of Social Work.
The article synthesises containment and catharsis theories to illuminate a recognisable but rarely discussed dimension of physical restraint, calling for a more contextualised understanding of intense emotional expression in order to reduce, and where possible, eliminate the use of restraint in residential child care. Such an understanding also increases the likelihood that when restraints do happen, they are experienced as acts of care rather than brutality.