Does punishment in secure residential youth care work? An overview of the evidence S. de Valk, G.H.P. van der Helm, M. Beld, P. Schaftenaar, C. Kuiper and G.J.J.M. Stams S. de Valk is Teacher, Researcher and G.H.P. van der Helm is Lecturer, both at the Youth Expert Centre, University of Applied Sciences Leiden, Leiden, The Netherlands. M. Beld is Teacher and Researcher at the University of Applied Sciences Windesheim, Zwolle, The Netherlands. P. Schaftenaar is Manager at the Secure Psychiatric Care, Inforsa, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. C. Kuiper is Lector Participation at the University of Applied Scienced in Rotterdam and Lector Transormation in Health Care at the University of Applied Science in Leiden. G.J.J.M. Stams is Professor at the Department of Forensic Child and Youth Care Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Abstract Purpose – Violence is a common problem in secure residential units for young people. Group workers often think that young people have to learn to behave by means of punishment. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether this approach is effective in these settings, and, if so, under what circumstances. Furthermore, it aims to provide alternatives to punishment when dealing with violence. Design/methodology/approach – Recent evidence on the effectiveness of punishment in secure residential units is reviewed. In addition, methods which are promising in dealing with violence are described. Findings – The review shows that punishment is often used to regain control by group workers or, alternatively, is a result of professional helplessness in the face of escalating problems. Only when the living group climate is marked by trust and cooperation can punishment be effective. Originality/value – Punishment in secure residential settings can have severe negative consequences. Nevertheless, group workers are tempted to use it as a response to violence in an attempt to gain control. Keywords Control, Alliance, Violence, Living group climate, Punishment, Secure and correctional care, Review Paper type Literature review Introduction In secure residential youth care, the young people (aged 4-18) are treated in living groups or wards by trained care staff, social workers or psychiatric nurses. These workers often encounter severe aggression by the residents (Bracha, 2006; Toch and Kupers, 2007; Whittle et al., 2006). This has a considerable impact on their professional behaviour because they often fear getting hurt and experience loss of control (Van der Helm et al., 2011). Group workers sometimes think that punishment for rule infraction(s) or “bad behavior” is a solution for dealing with both the antisocial behaviour and the sense of losing control (Hanrath, 2013). But in reality punishment often aggravates the situation and increases the likelihood of coercive responses by group workers, both of which damage the living group climate (Fontaine and Dodge, 2009; Patterson, 1976; Van der Helm and Stams, 2012). Approaches that are too rigid or excessively restrictive increase the risk of violence (Duxbury, 2002; Meehan et al., 2006). Zimbardo (2007) and Hanrath (2013) show how “good people turn evil” in such situations. Fontaine and Dodge (2009), Dadds and Salmon (2003) and Van der Helm and Stams (2012) point to negative group dynamic processes which can explain why punitive behaviour occurs at the individual level and Patterson (1976) speaks of transactional processes, designated as a “coercion trap” in which group workers and young people escalate their reactions towards each other in order to achieve dominance. This study was made possible by the support of the Reformed Civil Orphanage (Gereformeerd Burger Weeshuis), Rotterdam, The Netherlands. DOI 10.1108/JCS-11-2014-0048 VOL. 10 NO. 1 2015, pp. 3-16, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1746-6660 j JOURNAL OF CHILDREN’S SERVICES j PAGE 3