Also consider this - Code 3.01 Responsibility to Clients - Behavior analysts act in the best interest of their clients, to "support client's rights, maximize benefits, and do no harm" (BACB, 2020). There are some individuals and some behaviors for which punishment procedures may be the only way to achieve the desired outcome. One of the most important questions to consider is - What impact will not using punishment and allowing the behavior to remain as is impact the client? Is there more benefit and social validity to the projected outcomes of using punishment? The long-term positive benefit of using punishment procedures for behavior change when other interventions have not worked is important to consider when deciding whether to use punishment. Punishment may be deemed necessary in cases where the behaviors involve severe aggression or injury, life-threatening behaviors, behaviors that are resistant to reinforcement interventions, and behaviors that severely interfere with learning or social situations. Punishment should not be a routine, initial intervention. However, there is still a place for the ethical use of punishment