Stress position

This creates an intense amount of pressure on the legs, leading first to pain and then rapid onset of muscle fatigue and tear.

[citation needed] It is used primarily in educational institutions, domestically, and occasionally by the police as a summary, informal punishment for petty crime.

It can be done with the hands in front of the recipient or out the sides, and they cannot raise or lower the arms, only hold them out for a long time.

[5]: 20 [6] One Eritrean prisoner survived 55 days in the helicopter position, at temperatures of up to 50 °C (122 °F), after which his skin peeled off, and he was held for eight months with one hand and arm tied behind his back.

The duration of this torture position is normally limited to about ten to fifteen minutes to allow the victim to survive.