I have worked with at risk youth for nearly 30 years. I have been taught over the years that physical restraint can only be used as a last resort. I am not talking about shackles or handcuffs. I am talking about staff members needing to physically restrain a person that has lost control of his actions, is causing harm to himself, others or property which can cause injury to the person that has lost control of his actions. I was taught that I was never to restrain a person by myself because of the possibility of injury to myself or to another person because you cannot properly restrain a person alone. In reading many articles of injuries and even deaths, I have noticed that staff people have improperly put pressure on the persons chest, put fabric over their mouths, bend elbows back ect. Physical restraint injuries are non existant if they are performed properly and with extensive training. Physical restraint is for immobilizing the person that has lost control not injure them. During the restraint, the people that are restraining the out of control person are also talking to the person to try to calm them down and help them regain control. This is probably the most difficult part of the job I have experienced over the years and I was very tired along with the staff member I worked with but if performed properly there have never been any injuries to the person being restrained or to staff. When the person that has been restrained regains control of their actions, staff asks them if they can maintain control but also informs them that this can happen again if they don't maintain control of their actions. Most importantly, PHYSICAL RESTRAINT MUST BE USED PROPERLY AND AS A LAST RESORT TO IMMOBILIZE THE OUT OF CONTROL PERSON TO MAINTAIN SAFETY OF PERSONS INVOLVED AND NOT TO INFLICT INJURY!