Verbal de-escalation: The most important ability an officer can have5289942
With no work at all, your mouth can get you into a lot of trouble. All as well often officers say all the wrong things at the wrong time, serving only to escalate a situation to the point of physical confrontation. Anybody can go hands-on it takes ability to de-escalate a scenario with words. In order to be really effective, verbal de-escalation, like any ability, requires practice. The subsequent time you are presented with an argumentative or non-compliant subject consider the following points.
First and foremost, remain calm
The late Dr. George Thompson taught us that one of the seven things you by no means say to anybody is “Calm Down”. If we want someone to calm down we must remain calm ourselves. If you allow insults, threats, or emotions to get the best of you then your authority has been compromised and there is little chance of resolving the scenario peacefully. It is only by remaining calm ourselves that we seize control of the scenario.
People’s natural inclination is to adopt the behavior of these around them. It is simple to enter into a shouting match with an irate individual it takes far more discipline to remain calm in the face of aggression. Likewise, it is difficult for an irate individual to stay so when the person he is engaged with is relaxed and speaking in a calm reassuring tone. By approaching the situation with this idea in mind it is possible to influence another’s behavior by controlling our own (Thompson, 2005).
Designate one individual to speak
This is an essential consideration in each verbal and physical confrontations. Designating one speaker eliminates conflicting messages and provides the subject with a single point of contact. This is especially important when communicating with an emotionally or mentally compromised individual. When a person’s faculties are impaired by feelings, drugs or mental illness, numerous speakers can be counterproductive top to confusion and frustration. Confusion and aggravation can trigger a person to shut down or turn out to be aggressive. One person speaking in a clear, calm manner provides the topic with a single point of concentrate and time to procedure the information being presented to them.
Get rid of unnecessary conflict
If there is conflict in between the topic and a particular employees member or inmate, eliminate that person from the scenario. In such a scenario, it is almost impossible to acquire the subject’s interest while the other party is nonetheless present.
If the subject expresses a specific bias, it may be necessary to find an alternative speaker. Conflicts are often racial or gender motivated. Gender bias can go either way but I’ve frequently discovered that a female officer will have more success with an irate male.
It might be helpful to find an officer with whom the topic can identify. In a correctional setting it is often feasible to find an officer who has currently built a rapport with the topic. An aggravated topic is more likely to comply with the demands of an officer with whom he has a positive history.
Don’t compromise security
It is essential that while we make an try to defuse a situation verbally that we do not let our guard down. Listen and watch for indicators of impending violence. As we engage these individuals in dialogue we must make security a top priority. We are all familiar with the blatant threats made by subjects in custody. It’s the more subtle indicators which can make the distinction between being ready and being caught off guard. Phrases like “I have to get out of here” frequently precipitate panicked attempts to escape.
