Police Handcuff and Detain 6-year-old Girl for Tantrum

The family of a 6-year-old Georgia girl is upset at school and police officials after the girl was handcuffed and detained for throwing a tantrum at school. From The Associated Press:

Salecia Johnson, 6, was accused of tearing items off the walls and throwing furniture in an outburst Friday at Creekside Elementary School, Macon television station WMAZ-TV reported. Police said the girl knocked over a shelf that injured the principal.

The school called police. The police report says when an officer tried to calm the child in the principal's office, she resisted and was handcuffed. The girl was charged with simple assault and damage to property.

Police Chief Dray Swicord says the department's policy is to handcuff people in certain situations.

"Our policy states that any detainee transported to our station in a patrol vehicle is to be handcuffed in the back and there is no age discrimination on that rule," Milledgeville Police Chief Dray Swicordtold WMAZ.

The girl was then taken to the police station and put into a holding cell by herself where she complained that the handcuffs were so tight they "really her hurt wrists" and she became visibly "shaken up." Johnson’s family is demanding that the city change its policy.

Such restraint can cause excessive mental and emotional strain - especially for a child so young. The fact of the matter is, the situation should never have gotten so out of control. Teachers and schools need support to prevent these incidences from occurring and help promote positive climate and culture.  

Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, reintroduced the Keeping All Students Safe Act to ensure that all children are protected at school. The bill provides school personnel with the necessary tools, training, and support to ensure the safety of all students and school personnel including professional development in school-wide positive behavior support, which will prevent situations like this from getting out of hand. With proper training, teachers and administrators will be able to adequately address student behavior without having to resort to calling the police.  

Learn more about the Keeping All Students Safe Act.