In this section, Lives in the Balance keeps you up-to-date on breaking news about how behaviorally challenging kids are being understood and treated, especially in schools and restrictive therapeutic facilities (stories with asterisks were brought to our attention by Lives in the Balance activists). While it's mostly the bad news that makes the headlines, lots of good work is being done by many people in many places on behalf of behaviorally challenging kids and their caregivers. The bad news just tells us there's more work to be done. 

CURRENTLY IN THE SPOTLIGHT:

Kids in Cuffs: Why Handcuff a Student With a Disability
NBC News
Hannah Rappleye, Brenda Breslauer, Stephanie Gosk And Kenzi Abou-Sabe
Comprehensive article looking at police in schools, criminalizing adolescent behavior, and statistics on school discipline from around the country. The article includes easy graphics to see how your state and school district compare to national averages.

Your Child’s Been Sent to Jail. And Then Comes the Bill.
Washington Post
Eli Hager
Analyzes a troubling trend of charging parents for the incarceration of their children. “Today, mothers and fathers are billed for their children’s incarceration — in jails, detention centers, court-ordered treatment facilities, training schools or disciplinary camps — by 19 state juvenile-justice agencies, while in at least 28 other states, individual counties can legally do the same, a survey by the Marshall Project shows.”

 

SCHOOLS IN THE NEWS:

March 18, 2018
Why are black students punished so often? Minnesota confronts a national quandary...READ the story from the New York Times.

November 6, 2017
New data reveal 250 preschoolers are suspended or expelled every day...READ the story from Center for American Progress.

October 31, 2017
How can we stem the school-to-prison pipeline?...READ the story from CITYLAB.

October 14, 2017
Judge rules Kentucky county liable for handcuffed children...READ the story from the New York Times.

October 4, 2017
UAE bans detentions, downgrading, and mockery as forms of school discipline...READ the article from Arab News.

September 19, 2017
Mother demands answers after son, 8, put in restraints and injected on first day of school...READ the article from CBC News.

September 2, 2017
Don't suspend students. Empathize...READ the article from the New York Times.

February 24, 2017
Mississauga mom launches complaint after police handcuff her 6-year old daughter...READ the story from CBC News.

September 21, 2016
Our View: To stop cyle of failure, help Maine's youngest learners...READ the column from Portland Press Herald.

September 13, 2016
Hey teachers, please stop using behavior charts. Here's why...READ the column from PBS Newhour. 

September 8, 2016
ACLU sues KC schools - says bullied child, 7, was handcuffed for crying...READ the article in The Kansas City Star.

September 5, 2016
Pre-school suspensions really happen and that's not ok with Connecticut...READ the story from NPR.

August 24, 2016
100,000 American kids still subject to corporal punishment...READ the story from CBS News.

August 24, 2016
A Persistent Practice: Corporal Punishment in in U.S. Schools...READ the stories from Education Week. 

August 11, 2016
Set to Stun...READ the story in The Huffington Post.

August 4, 2016
How feeling respected transforms a student's relationship to school...READ the story in PBS Newshour.

July 26, 2016
Update to NYC schools discipline Code bans suspensions for K-2 students...READ the story from Education World.

July 11, 2016
It takes zero intelligence to still support zero tolerance in schools...READ the story from Juvenile Justice Information Exchange.

June 28, 2016
John King asks charters to lead in rethinking student discipline...READ the story from The Tennessean.

June 9, 2016
Discipline in private special education schools under investigation by California attorney general...READ the story from EdSource.

May, 2016
Kentucky schools to pay $1.75M after child's leg broken...READ the story from ABC News.

May, 2016
Virginia has a school suspension "crisis," report says...READ the story from Richmond Times Dispatch. 

March, 2016
Corporal punishment in North Carolina's public schools: Almost gone and good riddance...READ the story from NC Child. 

November 23, 2015
California has become a nationwide leader in better school discipline practices...READ the story from the Huffington Post. 

November 7, 2015
Why some LAUSD teachers are balking at a new approach to discipline problems...READ the story from the Los Angeles Times. 

November 6, 2015
Child abuse still permitted in schools...READ the story from Care2. 

November 4, 2015
Schoolkids in handcuffs...READ the editorial from New York Times. 

October 31, 2015
The hidden racism of school discipline, in seven charts...READ the article from Vox Education. 

October 29, 2015
The preschool to prison pipeline: Black kids face punishment as young as 3...READ the article from the Toronto Star. 

October 27, 2015
Video of student arrest in South Carolina puts focus on school officers...READ the article in the New York Times. 

September 14, 2015
Activists hail new law on school discipline; districts say few changes needed...READ the story from the Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette. 

September 4, 2015
Report highlights racial disparities in school discipline -- once again...READ the article from the Southern Poverty Law Center. 

August 28, 2015
Five facts everyone should know about the school-to-prison pipeline...READ the blog from Education Week. 

August 25, 2015
Illinois governor signs sweeping school discipline reform...READ the story from the Huffington Post. 

August 24, 2015
U.S. Schools are too focused on standardized tests, poll says...READ the story from the Washington Post. 

July 29, 2015
Miami-Dade school eliminating out-of-school suspensions...READ the story from StateImpact. 

July 15, 2015
Denver is leading the way in dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline. Here's how...READ the story from the Huffington Post. 

July 2, 2015
Bad behavior: Critics say kids get away with too much under Madison school district's new policy...READ the stroy from the CAP Times. 

May 15, 2015
Bill that would curb suspensions of youngest public school students clears Senate committee...READ the story from The Advocate. 

April 17, 2015
"I wish my teacher knew":  Poignant notes from students...READ the story from the Washington Post. 

March 26, 2015
Backing away from zero tolerance...READ the article in the New York Times. 

March 20, 2015
As awareness of the school-to-prison pipeline rises, some schools rethink the role of police...READ the story from the ACLU Blog of Rights.

February 13, 2015
Suspension rules altered in New York City's revision of school discipline code...READ the story from the New York Times. 

February 11, 2015
Report fauls charter school rules on discipline of students...READ the story from the New York Times. 

January 31, 2015
Texas boy suspended for saying he could make classmate 'disappear' with 'Lord of Rings' sorcery...READ the story from the New York Daily News. 

January 26, 2015
Debunking school discipline myths...READ the article from The Seattle Times. 

January 26, 2015
Handcuffs, leg shackles, and tasers:  The new face of punishment in the public schools...READ the story from The Blaze.  

January 23, 2015
UF study condemns physically punishing students, which is still legal in Florida schools...READ the story from The Independent Florida Alligator. 

January 22, 2015
To improve school discipline, change teacher behavior...READ the article from Slate.

January 15, 2015
Big drop in number of California students who are suspended, expelled...READ the story from the Los Angeles Times. 

January 15, 2015
Missouri state senator wants to strike down practice of corporal punishment in schools...READ the story from WDAF-TV Kansas City. 

January 14, 2015
Minority, disabled kids hit most by teachers in U.S....READ the story from Affect Magazine. 

December 21 2014
Race debate should include school discipline...READ the story from USA Today. 

December 15, 2014
Suspending kids doesn't fix bad behavior; Schools look for answers...READ the strory from the Seattle Times.

December 11, 2014
Schools' discipline for girls Differs by race and hue...READ the story in the New York Times. 

December 5, 2014
Changing tardiness policies could reduce racial disparities in school discipline, panel says...READ the story in the Tampa Bay Times.

November 29, 2014
Why is my child punished?  Finding solutions to uneven discipline in Utah's schools...READ the story in Deseret News. 

November 19, 2014
Charter schools suspend more than traditional schools...READ the story in the Boston Globe.

November 19, 2014
Should Arkansas schools still use corporal punishment?...click HERE For the story from KATV.

November 19, 2014
Human toll of school suspensions is devastating...READ the story from the (Rochester, NY) City Newspaper.

November 18, 2014
Three students earn 10-day suspensions for possession of candy after Halloween...READ the story from Western Journalism.

November 9, 2014
States listen as parents give rampant testing an F...READ the story from the New York Times.

October 26, 2014
Pipeline to prison: Special education too often leads to jail for thousands of American children...READ the story from the Hechinger Report. 

July 24, 2014
My son has been suspended five times.  He's 3...READ the story from the Washington Post. 

July 7, 2014
Zero tolerance policies are destroying the lives of black children...READ the story from the Washington Post. 

June 23, 2014
NYC cops are putting kids on the fast route to prison...READ the story from Vice News 

June 19, 2014
National data confirm use of restraint and seclusion in public schools...READ or LISTEN to the story from National Public Radio 

June 19, 2014
Violent and legal: The shocking ways school kids are being pinned down, isolated against their will...READ the story from ProPublica. 

June 8, 2014
Protesters want zero tolerance discarded in Ohio schools...READ the story from The Columbus Dispatch 

June 8, 2014
School board votes to keep corporal punishment...READ the story from The Herald Chronicle 

June 4, 2014
Schools urged to spare the rod on suspensions...READ the story from The Washington Times 

May 29, 2014
Black and Hispanic students punished more severely than white counterparts...READ the story here from Mint Press News 

May 20, 2014
Hundreds march to protest school-to-prison pipeline...READ the story from The Chicagoist 

May 17, 2014
Segregation 2.0: America's school-to-prison pipeline...READ the story from MSNBC 

April 27, 2014
Local woman advocates to ban paddling in schools...READ the story from The Steward Houston Times 

April 17, 2014
Students, parents challenge zero-tolerance policies...READ the story from USA Today

April 10, 2014
Just say no: Grove school board votes 3-2 to deny reinstatement of corporal punishment...READ the story from GrandLakeNews.com 

April 3, 2014
Studies confirm the dehumanization of black children and the 'Preschool-to-Prison-Pipeline'...READ the story from TruthDig

Click here for the many prior Good and Bad News entries for schools.

RESTRICTIVE THERAPEUTIC FACILITIES IN THE NEWS:

October 31, 2017
Mom of teen who died at South Carolina juvenile camp demands justice...READ the story from CBS News.

October 10, 2017
Dark secrets of Florida juvenile justice: 'honey-bun hits,' illicit sex, coverups...READ the story from The Miami Herald. 

September 1, 2016
Court Costs Can Push Kids Deeper Into Justice System, Report Says...READ the story from Juvenile Justice Information Exchange.

August 14, 2016
The unlikely reason Arkansas' juvenile justice system is behind the times...READ the story from the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange.

July 27, 2016
How America's criminal justice system became the country's mental health system*...READ the story from Vox. 

April 12, 2016
Kansas overhalls juvenile justice system - Emphasizes community-based reinvestment...READ the story from Juvenile Justice Information Exchange.

August 19, 2015
Watchdog urges ban on placing youth in solitary confinement for over 24 hours...READ the story from The Globe and Mail.

August 14, 2015
Connecticut DCF under Scrutiny for Illegal Use of Restraints, Isolation in Juvenile Facilities...LISTEN to the story from WSHU. 

May 4, 2015
Lawsuit Leads to New Limits on Solitary Confinement in Prisons in Illinois...READ the story from the New York Times. 

December 16, 2014
End Solitary Confinement for Teenagers...READ the op-ed from the New York Times.

April 18, 2014
In CA, an Effort to Stop Locking up Truants...READ the story from Public CEO.

March 14, 2014
Feds Sue Ohio Over Seclusion at Juvenile Jails...READ the story from the Lancaster Eagle Gazette.

February 17, 2014
Treatment Must be Focus for Delinquent Girls...READ the story from the Sioux City Journal. 

July 21, 2013:
Youths Isolated and 'forgotten' at the Iowa Juvenile Home...READ the article from the Des Moines Register.

Click here for the many prior Good and Bad News entries for restrictive therapeutic facilities.

DIAGNOSES IN THE NEWS:

April 11, 2014
Idea of New Attention Disorder Spurs Research, Debate...READ the story from the New York Times 

April 11, 2014
One in 68 American Children Diagnosed with Autism. It's Probably Too Many...READ the story from Quartz 

March 27, 2013
Autism Affects 1 in 68 Kids in the U.S.: CDC...READ the story from New York Daily News

December 14, 2013
The Selling of Attention Deficit Disorder...READ the story from the New York Times 

Click here for prior Good and Bad News entries for psychiatric diagnoses.

TREATMENT IN THE NEWS:

July 31, 2015
Drug company accused of altering study by top SickKids pediatrician...READ the story from the Toronto Star.

July 1, 2015
Antipsychotics Too Often Prescribed for Aggression in Children...READ the story from National Public Radio.

March 30, 2015
Hug it Out:  Experts Warn Against Physically Punishing Children...READ the story from Public News Service. 

February 3, 2015
This Barber Will Publicly Shame Your Misbehaving Kid with an Old Man's Haircut...READ the story from the Washington Post 

December 21, 2014
ADHD Drugs Increasingly Prescribed to Treat Hyperactivity in Preschoolers...READ the story from The Guardian 

December 19, 2014
Time's Up for 'Timeout'...READ the story from The Atlantic 

December 9, 2014
Harsh Punishment For Lying Compels Kids To Lie More, For Fear Of Future Punishment...READ the story from Medical Daily

May 1, 2014
Ending Corporal Punishment: Why You Should Never Spank a Child...READ the story from Philly.com 

April 23, 2014
Children Admitted to Adult Psychiatric Units Despite New Rules to Cease Practice...READ the story from The Irish Times

November 27, 2013
Kids' Psychiatric Visits a Growing Concern...READ the story here from MedPage Today

Click here for prior Good and Bad News entries for treatment of children's social, emotional, and behavioral challanges.

LEGISLATION, POLICY, & SOCIETY IN THE NEWS:

September 15, 2016
NC schools end corporal punishment in all but two counties...READ the story from The Daily Tar Heel.

August 4, 2016
How can 12-year-olds be adults?...READ the story from The Huffington Post Blog.

June, 2016
Mum Who Whipped Kid Hailed as "Model Parent"...READ the story from MSN.

January 26, 2015
When the sentence fits the crime but not the kid...READ the article from Juvenile Justice Information Exchange. 

January 5, 2015
The Overuse of suspension in American Public Schools Threatens the Success of All Students...READ the article from the London School of Economics and Political Science 

December 22, 2014
The Unbelievable Rise of Single Motherhood in America Over the Last 50 Years...READ the story from the Washington Post  

September 21, 2014
Yes, America, We Can Ban Spanking...READ the article from New York Daily News 

July 20, 2014
Court Rules It's "Reasonable Use of Force" For Parents to Spank Their Kids...READ the story from New York Daily News

May 16, 2014
Holder Speaks Out Against Solitary Confinement of Mentally-Ill Youths...READ the story from the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange 

April 16, 2014
No Spanking in Schools Across Missouri Under Lawmaker's Proposal...READ the story from St. Louis Post Dispatch 

February 18, 2014
First Strike: Kansas Lawmaker Wants to Legalize Harder Spanking of Children...READ the story in the New York Daily News

January 21, 2014
Would New Law Make it Too Easy to Kick Kids Out of School for Arbitrary Reasons? ...READ the story from the Norwalk Reflector.