De-escalation is the act of using techniques and skills, including verbal and non-verbal communication in a strategic manner to prevent the escalation of conflict or potentially dangerous behaviors. The individual may be experiencing distress, is upset in conflict, having a mental health crisis or traumatized.
De-escalation Key Concepts
The first and only objective in de-escalation is to reduce the level of agitation so that discussion becomes possible. Reasoning with an angry person is not possible.
De-escalation techniques are inherently abnormal. They go against the natural 'fight or flight' reflexes. To be effective, you must remain calm, centered and professionally detached. These skills require practice to become useful.
You need to self-monitor your words, tone of voice, and body language. Calm is just as contagious as fear or panic.
