The Utah House of Representatives is to be commended for passing, by an overwhelming majority, a ban on so-called holding therapy.
The House this past week voted 68-2 to restrict therapies where counselors restrict the movement of children — sometimes forcefully. The techniques, which resulted in the death of a Utah child in 1997 and is suspected in the death of another in 2002, have not withstood scientific review and are not sectioned by reputable psychiatric organizations. Although these children died while in the care of their own parents, the parents have alleged they conducted holding therapy upon the advice of mental health practitioners.
To help ensure the safety of Utah children from these potentially life-threatening practices, the Utah Senate needs to take the next step by approving HB5, the "Prohibition of Coercive Restraint."
Some lawmakers may hesitate to ban a therapeutic practice. They should know that other states have banned these potentially dangerous therapies.
Moreover, prohibiting this practice is no different than the federal government refusing to sanction certain treatments for diseases. Laetrile wasn't approved as a cancer treatment, for instance, because it didn't work.
Coercive therapies are most often used for children with reactive attachment disorders, which has been associated with adopted children who spent a long time in abusive situations or institutions. While some adoptive parents will make compelling arguments for the procedure, legislators need to ask for the literature or scientific review that validates these practices. Simply put, there are none.
Many adopted children in Utah have been in state custody. That means their adoptive parents may receive government subsidies to help provide for their mental health care. Government has a responsibility to ensure adoption subsidies are spent for treatments sanctioned by reputable mental health organizations.
Nationwide, eight children have died after undergoing these therapies. Utah has had two cases where two little girls — Krystal and Cassandra, both 4 years old — died after their parents claimed they had followed the orders of their therapists.
We ask the Senate to remember those two little girls as they consider this legislation. The government is not overreaching in this case. Rather, the ban would err on the side of saving innocent children's lives.