‘Starting on the backfoot each time’: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of young people’s experience of isolation rooms/booths in UK mainstream secondary schools

This study explored how young people made meaning of their lived experiences of isolation rooms/booths (IRBs) in UK mainstream secondary schools. Unstructured interviews were conducted with five participants aged 11–18 with repeated experiences of spending time in IRBs. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), two superordinate themes were identified. This article focuses on the superordinate theme ‘More Than the Process’ (‘Relationships’ – ‘Negative Perceptions of Others’ and ‘Positive Relationships’). Findings suggest a dynamic interplay between school staff attribution and time in IRBs that disrupts relationships. In contrast, positive student–staff relationships provided understanding, acceptance and validation that promoted connectedness and belonging. Thus, providing support for relational approaches that repair relational ruptures instead of retributive, punitive systems that exacerbate them.