There have been an increasing number of incidents in which school resource officers (SRO) have been used to manage student disciplinary issues with disastrous results. Court cases brought by parents and advocacy groups claim SROs have traumatized and injured students. This article addresses several critical issues concerning SROs being used to…

In this article, authors Carl Smith, Antonis Katsiyannis, and Joseph Ryan respond to Zirkel's most recent article, "The Law in the Special Education Literature: A Brief Legal Critique," published in this issue of "Behavioral Disorders." Smith, Katsiyannis, and Ryan begin their response by saying that "The Law in the…

The use of aversives as a method for behavioral intervention in U.S. public schools has been a persistent concern and often subject to litigation, particularly among students with disabilities. The use of aversives (restraint, seclusion, and corporal punishment) have been supported in some cases due to their perceived necessity to keep children…

Over the past several decades, there has been a steady increase in the use of medication therapy to help control student behavior within schools. While psychotropic medications do not "cure" mental illnesses, they have demonstrated efficacy in helping children function better at school and within their home environment. However, it is important…