HARTFORD, Conn. – A recent report from Connecticut’s Office of the Child Advocate shows an increasing number of students are being restrained or secluded as punishment for minor behavior problems, and the practice is causing injuries and mental trauma.

The Connecticut Department of Education data released last year shows the use of restraints and seclusions in the state’s classrooms jumped by more than 2,000 incidents when compared to the 2012-13 school year, WNPR News reports.

“Since the state began tracking the data three years ago, over 1,300 students were injured as a result of being restrained or secluded, with some injuries categorized as serious in nature, meaning the student required medical attention beyond first aid,” according to the news site.

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“Federal law limits the use of force and isolation on children in federally funded health programs, but these laws do not place the same limitation on school districts.”

Restraining or secluding students is supposed to be limited to emergency situations, but Sarah Eagan, the state’s Child Advocate, found that many students are subjected to the traumatizing experience for minor infractions, such as bragging to other students, or swinging their coat around, WNPR reports.

“These practices can be harmful, and research shows they’re not effective,” said Eagan, who delved into the state’s data on the issue and uncovered some disturbing trends.

According to Eagan’s research, more girls were restrained or secluded last year than the year before, an increasing percentage of students were restrained or secluded more than 100 times in a school year, and eight students were retrained or secluded more than 300 times last year, the news site reports.

A “call to action” report issued by the Child Advocate in February contends “the use of seclusion as a behavior management tool is concerning” because “research supports the conclusion that seclusion may be traumatic, and no research supports the use of seclusion – differentiated from therapeutic time out or brief removal from positive reinforcement – as a therapeutic behavioral intervention.”

Anecdotal evidence suggests restraint or seclusion can have a very negative impact on some students, in fact. Eagan’s report details the story of a student named Javier, who had seclusion as part of his education plan.

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But when the child was secluded for minor issues he would make suicidal threats, and once tied a shoelace around his neck, WNPR reports.

“Javier’s case review raises significant concerns regarding possible unidentified or unmet educational needs, and escalating suicidal behavior while in seclusion,” according to the Child Advocate report.

“Very concerning is that Javier’s Behavioral Intervention Plan calls for closed door seclusion if he engages in unsafe behavior – despite his documented propensity for engaging in suicidal gestures while in closed door seclusion.”

Eagan also found that autistic students are also more likely to be secluded or restrained in school, something The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee – a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – described as a “treatment failure” for autistic kids that only makes matters worse, according to the news site.

“In effect, an inappropriate restraint or seclusion is, I would consider, a form of neglect or abuse,” parent Lisbeth Ehrlich told WNPR.

Ehrlich walked in on her child’s teacher pinning her son to the floor as if he was under arrest because he “didn’t want to sit through circle time,” she said.

“If someone pushed you to the ground and put your arm behind your back, that would be assault. But children don’t seem to enjoy the same protection,” she said.

Some lawmakers, however, are aiming to change that.

WNPR reports some states like Massachusetts have outlawed seclusion entirely, while others are working to address concerns.

On the federal level, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy is co-sponsoring the Keeping All Students Safe Act, which would limit seclusions and restraints to emergency situations only, according to the site.

“There is still a lot of work to do to make sure these practices are never used in ways that hurt kids and inhibit their ability to succeed in school,” Murphy wrote in a statement, according to WNPR.