Handcuffing Teens Is a Cruel Punishment

Handcuffs can be an inhumane and degrading punishment for teens. No longer able to run, jump or escape capture, they often experience significant pain and physical trauma from restraints that prevent escape. Numerous court cases have raised the issue of whether using handcuffs on children is legal.

Recent cases have been highly disturbing. For example, in New York City a 14-year-old girl was handcuffed and placed back into a police SUV after attempting to escape from it, only for one officer then punching her face and breaking her orbital bone before finally handcuffing again and placing back into car – leading her mother to file suit against both the police department and officer involved.

Law enforcement experts have strongly condemned an incident in Detroit. A judge who ordered that a teenaged girl who dozed off during a field trip be placed in handcuffs and forced to wear prison attire has since been removed from his docket; 36th District Court Judge Kenneth King has been ordered to undergo sensitivity training as part of a settlement agreement.

Videos showing police handcuffing teenagers have gone viral over the last year, prompting many people to question why these actions took place.

Recent viral video footage depicting a black teenager and her white friend engaging in an argument at a mall in New Jersey led to widespread outrage and the police arrive, only for her to then handcuff only her, leaving her friend free. Her mother reports being handcuffed for three hours without explanation from police department personnel as to why this occurred.