Gender and restraint training. Why are all the trainers men and why might this really matter?

Staff working in the residential child care sector will typically continue to receive some training in how to accomplish restraint where it represents the last resort. However, it appears a disproportionate number of males appear to be involved in the delivery of such training. Why this situation may have come about and the potential implications are examined in this paper. A non-systematic thematic review of the literature investigates the potential implications of the current situation and a qualitative thematic analysis of interview data from a small group (n = 4) of women explores women's experience of participation in training in restraint. Sample numbers were restricted by ethical restrictions imposed on data collection. Findings suggest that a 'male' model of aggression may permeate some training programmes and negatively influence women's experience.