Ethics of Punishment Panel Discussion (Manson, Quigley, & Rulison)

Parents and professionals, at times, support children and adults who are at risk of harm to themselves or others. The risk might be aggression toward the parent, professional or others that results in injuries (e.g., bruises, cuts, broken bones). It might be self-injury such as head-banging or eye-gouging. It might also be running into a crowded intersection. Many treatment models attempt to reduce the likelihood and level of risk of these types of situations, but there are times when such situations occur. Parents and professionals are hopefully trained to use crisis management procedures to reduce the current situation. However, how do parents and professionals decide which crisis management procedure is likely to reduce the risk? Which crisis management procedure will reduce the risk of harm to the individual and others? These are just a few questions related to crisis management procedures. The purpose of this presentation is to provide evidence from the research literature that has addressed these questions.