Response to ABAI Task Force on the Use of Contingent Electric Skin Shock
CESS is not standard ABA and carries heavy ethical red flags.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Zarcone et al. (2023) wrote a reply to the ABAI task force on contingent electric skin shock (CESS).
The paper is a position statement, not an experiment. It lists why the authors think CESS is not standard care.
What they found
The authors say CESS is used only at the Judge Rotenberg Center. They repeat that it is not an accepted ABA practice.
They stress ethical and methodological worries, but give no new data.
How this fits with other research
Fisher et al. (2023) and Lerman (2023) say the same thing: drop CESS and use safer tools. These three 2023 papers form a clear chorus.
Blenkush et al. (2023) sing a different tune. They argue CESS should stay on the table for the most severe cases and be tested with data. This looks like a fight, but it is really about values versus data. Zarcone’s side says the risk is too high no matter what the numbers say.
Peterson (2023) deepens the debate. He points out that many clients cannot give true consent, making any CESS use ethically shaky.
Why it matters
If you write behavior plans, this paper reminds you that CESS is outside the scope of accepted practice. Ethics boards, funders, and families are watching. Use the least intrusive option that works and document why you chose it. When a case feels stuck, seek peer review, not painful devices.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
In this article, the authors provide their response to the Association for Behavior Analysis International (2022) position statement on the use of contingent electric skin shock (CESS). In this response, we address concerns raised by the task force regarding limitations of the Zarcone et al. (2020) review article in which both methodological and ethical concerns were raised about the quality of research in the use of CESS with people with disabilities in the treatment of challenging behavior. We note that with the exception of the Judge Rotenberg Center in Massachusetts, no state or country currently supports the use of CESS as it is not recognized as the standard of care in any other program, school, or facility.
Perspectives on Behavior Science, 2023 · doi:10.1007/s40614-023-00381-2