Most of the recent debate concerning the ethics of physical interventions has focused
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management of self-injurious behaviour.This is an important omission, given the
extremely serious consequences that can arise from this form of challenging
behaviour.The present article reviews types of restraint used to manage self-injury,
prevalence of use, and main and side effects of restraint use. It describes some
good practice standards and highlights the need for further research and debate in
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