91Èȱ¬

I could hardly watch the grainy CCTV footage. A cowering child in the face of a towering adult. An isolated child throwing shoes at the camera. A distressed child banging his head, hard against the wall. These children with autism were in rooms clearly misnamed as calming.

The theory of calming rooms is quite different from this reality. Intended to be quiet spaces where people, including those with autism, can regulate their reactions and develop strategies to deal with emotions that can engulf a child, the existence of calming rooms in schools and other educational settings is common. Designed to be peaceful, take-a-break spaces, calming rooms are places where an overwhelmed child can learn breathing techniques or play with a toy to sooth and regain their composure.

But for these young people, their experience was far from that. Isolated, angry and frightened, some are shown to be hitting themselves, being sick, evidently distressed. Either left alone for long periods or encountering aggressive behaviour from adults in a confined space.

The theory behind calming rooms is that they are for purpose not punishment. But this footage shows they were there for punishment and isolation that one safeguarding expert has called nothing less than torture.

Of course the investigation of who knew what when is key now - as well as the holding to account of the adults for their behaviour.

In common with other world views and religious frameworks, Christian teaching emphasises the dignity of every person, rooted in the belief that all people – young and old – autistic or not - are made in the image of God. From this individual dignity comes a commitment to empathy and solidarity- and the ethic that is repeated in the New Testament to do to others what you would have them do to you.

But words are cheap – and my own church – the Church of England has spectacularly failed to live up to this teaching as revealed in the Makin report. This CCTV footage shows the terrible harm that can be done to children in environments where they should feel – should be – safe.

As I watched the footage I felt not only distress but despair. But despair is disabling and will not help us make change. Neither is a tin eared insistence on ‘bad apples’ or individual sin.

Abuses of power by the strong against the weak reveal human behaviour that shames us all. But shame that can- that must - be harnessed to grow courage to face honestly the cruelty of which humanity is capable, and learn to live another way.

Show less