Mapping review of interventions to reduce the use of restrictive practices in children and young people's institutional settings: The CONTRAST study

Baker, J, Kendal, S, Berzins, K, Canvin, K, Branthonne-Foster, S, McDougall, T, Goldson, B, Kellar, I, Wright, J and Duxbury, J ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1772-6874 (2022) Mapping review of interventions to reduce the use of restrictive practices in children and young people's institutional settings: The CONTRAST study. Children and Society, 36 (6). pp. 1351-1401. ISSN 0951-0605

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Abstract

Restrictive practices are often used harmfully with children in institutional settings. Interventions to reduce their use do not appear to have been mapped systematically. Using environmental scanning, we conducted a broad-scope mapping review of English language academic databases, websites and social media, using systematic methods. Included records (N = 121) were mostly from the United States and contained details of 82 different interventions. Children's participation was limited. Reporting quality was inconsistent, which undermined claims of effectiveness. Overall, despite a multitude of interventions, evidence is limited. Leaders should consider the evidence, including children's perspectives, before introducing poorly understood interventions into children's settings.