FEDERICI’s METHOD is even MORE DANGEROUS than THAT! Federici directs restrainers to forcefully keep the child in a PRONE position … With the weight of ONE ADULT on the Child’s hips (preventing them from rocking) … AND, Federici directs that the weight of a SECOND ADULT’s body be draped over the Child’s “UPPER TORSO”!

[Above is a factual and accurate REPRESENTATION of a line drawing from Federici’s book – something he published in order to demonstrate the final manner of his “Sequence One Holding Technique.”]

Even back in 2003 (when Federici’s self-published 2nd edition was released), the danger of
asphyxiating someone by employing forceful-prone-restraint was already universally known.
[Go to the Restraint Asphyxia Library and scroll down to the 2003 division bar to see all the
articles published in 2003 – and before – regarding the lethality of forceful-prone-restraint!]

So, why would Federici promote a potentially lethal form of restraint?
Here are two possible “explanations” that occurred to ME:

1. Perhaps Federici never bothered (neglected) to research restraint dangers prior to his self-
   published book’s 2nd edition, and didn’t know he was advocating a potentially lethal technique.
   If that is the “explanation,” it is My Opinion that Federici had absolutely no business
   publishing a book containing restraint directives of any kind.

2. Perhaps Federici researched restraint dangers, discovered the many deaths associated with
   use of forceful-prone-restraint, but elected to ignore them.
   If that is the “explanation,” it is My Opinion that Federici has demonstrated a deliberate
   indifference to the health and welfare of Children who may be subjected to the restraint
   methods he advocates in his self-published book.

MORE FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
Anyone who uses Federici’s forceful-prone-restraint technique runs the risk
of committing (being arrested for and charged with) HOMICIDE!

Though it has been discussed by many since the mid-1990’s, in March of 2000, Forensic Pathologists
O’Halloran and Frank were (I believe) the first to put it in writing: Death that occurs due to individuals
employing and maintaining an asphyxial manner of restraint is not an “ACCIDENT” – it is “HOMICIDE.”

“Because restraint asphyxia deaths are ‘deaths at the hands of another,’ it has been
argued that they should be considered homicides. … Considering the amount of
discussion during the past decade [prior to March, 2000] in the forensic pathology,
emergency medicine, and law enforcement literature regarding the risks of death
during [application of forceful-prone-restraint techniques], the argument for classification
as accident becomes weaker.”
–O'Halloran RL, Frank JG: Asphyxial death during prone restraint revisited: a report of 21 cases.
Am J Forensic Med Pathol 2000 Mar;21(1):39-52. Read This Article Here

In February of 2002, the National Association of Medical Examiners (“NAME”) approved a
“Guide For Manner of Death Classification” wherein they specifically stated:
Deaths due to positional restraint induced by law enforcement personnel or
to choke holds or other measures to subdue may be classified as Homicide.
– Click Here To Read NAME’s Feb 2002 Death Classification Guide

PLZ NOTE:
NAME’s Feb 2002 Death Classification ruling is not limited to restraint-related deaths caused by “law
enforcement personnel.” It also applies to deaths caused by any kind of restrainers (including Parents)
who were employing an asphyxial manner of restraint at the time of someone’s death – prone, supine,
or seated manners of asphyxial restraint!
Death caused by “the hands of another” is HOMICIDE. Plain and simple.

After NAME’s 2002 ruling, medical examiners (even some forensic pathologists) were slow to adopt
this classification, especially when law enforcement personnel were involved. But, as restraint
asphyxia deaths continued to occur, medical examiners and forensic pathologists began to realize that
they must classify these deaths as homicides, or lose their credibility as medical professionals.

These days (2009), the medical examiner or forensic pathologist who still classifies a restraint asphyxia
death as “accident” is a rare (and very suspicious) bird.

I don’t routinely post articles about restraint asphyxia deaths that have been appropriately classified
as homicides. However, it happens that I have posted two of the most recent ones:

17 Year Old Faith Finley’s Dec 2008 Prone Restraint Death Was Ruled a Homicide

7 Year Old Angellika Arndt’s May 2006 Prone Restraint Death Was Ruled a Homicide

To see many more articles evidencing the fact that a homicide classification for restraint asphyxia deaths
has finally become the NORM, just Google, “Restraint Homicide” or “Restraint Asphyxia Homicide.”

IN SUMMARY:

From what I’ve seen and read about OTHER aspects of his “Intervention” techniques (the non-restraint-related
aspects), it is My Personal Opinion that Federici is a SOCIOPATH!
But, HEY! I do NOT have credentials that qualify me to review Federici’s non-restraint-related intervention
techniques, nor to diagnose the nature of whatever mental dysfunction he may be suffering from. Those who DO
have qualifying credentials related to the science of psychiatry and behavior management will have to do that.

Happily, I DO have the credentials required to review and legitimately comment on the manner of
restraint that Federici promotes – as demonstrated by my CV, my years of performing restraint research and
education, the extensive restraint-related content of my website, and the fact that I’ve been qualified as
a Restraint Asphyxia Expert Witness within a U.S. court of law.

THEREFORE, IT IS MY ULTIMATE OPINION THAT:

• Ronald Federici promotes an asphyxial manner of restraint.

• And, because he promotes an asphyxial manner of restraint in spite of all the research clearly identifying
  the potential lethality of his method(s) – research available to him prior to the publication of his book’s
  second edition – Federici has acted in a criminally negligent manner, and has demonstrated a
  deliberate indifference to the health and welfare of CHILDREN (and others) who occasionally require restraint.

Sincerely Yours,
CHAS
(Ms. Charly D. Miller)

A Dateline NBC Video Segment
The link above should** take you to a 4-minute segment from a June, 2006, Dateline NBC program.
This clip shows another asphyxial form of restraint promoted by Federici.
It also demonstrates several of the non-restraint-related “interventions” he promotes!
From the Description that commonly accompanies that video segment:
Psychologist Ronald Federici – referred to by his followers as "The Emperor" – is an
Attachment Therapist who has connections to adoption organizations involved in Eastern
Europe. Federici advocates that parents initiate very dangerous restraint practices for an
out-of-control child AND for disobedience/defiance. … Dateline captures Dane's mother
dragging him off the bed to do floor restraint NOT as a safety measure, but because the
child, she says, refused to go to the bathroom. (Dane protested, apparently saying he didn't
need to go.) This episode resulted in hours of lethal face-down floor holding. Federici also
advocates extreme parenting methods that isolate and humiliate children. … Federici
flaunts two degrees from a London diploma mill, and at the time this program aired, he
falsely claimed to be licensed by the Virginia Medical Board.

** PLZ NOTE!Federici has become NOTORIOUS for filing entirely ERRONEOUS and
FRIVOLOUS DMCA complaints. Consequently, this Dateline NBC video segment is frequently
kicked-off the sites where it’s posted.
When that happens, the page is often replaced by a message stating that “This video is no
longer available due to a copyright claim by Dr. Ronald S. Federici” – or the like.
Federici does NOT own the copyright to that video, or any of its segments. DATELINE NBC does.
But, Federici knows that most website host servers will delete pages if he threatens to file a
DMCA complaint, even when the web page contains absolutely NO copyright-infringing material!

FROM THE WIKIPEDIA LINK ABOVE:
When website owners receive a takedown notice [DMCA complaint] it is in their interest
not to challenge it, even if it is not clear if infringement is taking place, because if the
potentially infringing content is taken down the website will not be held liable.

Happily, there are many dedicated persons who RE-POST the video when they learn it has been
given the boot. SO! If the above link didn’t work, go to any of the following websites and contact
them, asking for the latest Internet address for the Federici Dateline NBC video segment.
Search For Survivors
Advocates For Children In Therapy
Pound Pup Legacy
It’s well worth the effort to chase down this video segment!

Information About Federici’s Alleged Credentials
& ILLUMINATING Federici Quotes
This organization has done a ton of research related to Federici’s background, as well as the
“interventions” he promotes. Advocates For Children In Therapy is an
educational and public advocacy organization dedicated to halting the dangerous cruelty done
to children by Attachment Therapy (AT), its associated Therapeutic Parenting practices (ATP),
and other unvalidated, pseudoscientific interventions for Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD)
and other so-called attachment “problems”.

The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) assembled a task force to research various therapies and interventions associated with ambiguous labels including the term, “Attachment.”

Their report was published in February of 2006.
Citation: Chaffin M, Hanson R, Saunders BE, Nichols T, Barnett D, Zeanah C, Berliner L,
Egeland B, Newman E, Lyon T, Letourneau E, and Miller-Perrin C. Report of the APSAC
Task Force on Attachment Therapy, Reactive Attachment Disorder, and Attachment Problems.
Child Maltreatment: Journal of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children,
Feb 2006; Vol 11: pp. 76-98.
From Pages 16-17:
Position statements against using coercion or restraint as a treatment were issued … by
mainstream professional societies ([such as The] American Psychiatric Association, 2002) …
Despite these and other strong cautions from professional organizations, the controversial
treatments and their associated concepts and foundational principles appear to be continuing
among networks of attachment therapists, attachment therapy centers, case-workers, and
adoptive or foster parents (Keck, n.d.; Hage, n.d.). As Berliner (2002) has noted, parents and
case workers may turn to these treatments out of desperation.
From Page 24:
2. Recommendations Regarding Treatments and Interventions.
a. Treatment techniques or attachment parenting techniques involving physical coercion,
psychologically or physically enforced holding, physical restraint, physical domination,
provoked catharsis, ventilation of rage, age regression, humiliation, withholding or forcing
food or water intake, prolonged social isolation, or assuming exaggerated levels of control and
domination over a child are contraindicated due to risk of harm and absence of proven benefit
and should not be used.

CHAS NOTE: It is My Opinion that Federici’s non-restraint-related “intervention” techniques
consist almost entirely of “exaggerated levels of control and domination over a child!” Again,
however, it is up to APSAC, the American Psychiatric Association, and others like them, to go
after him for promoting so very many contraindicated forms of “intervention.”

PURCHASE APSAC’s Published Feb 2006 Report Here

FREE Internet Access to the Pre-Publication Copy of APSAC’s Feb 2006 Report

FREE Chas’ Website Access to the Pre-Publication Copy of APSAC’s Feb 2006 Report
[Posted here in case the Internet copy disappears some day!]

Find many OTHER articles and opinion papers regarding The Egregious Emperor Of Child Endangerment by Googling, “Federici attachment therapy” – and the like!

Email Charly at: c-d-miller@neb.rr.com
(Those are hyphens/dashes between the “c” and “d” and “miller”)

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