The following suggestions are designed to assist in your daily interactions with de-escalating potentially violent situations. If a person's behavior escalates beyond a reasonable level or they become physical - Disengage and immediately call 911.
Do:
Project calmness
Listen - Encourage dialogue
Project a relaxed and attentive posture
Acknowledge feelings to indicate you know they are upset
Establish ground rules if unreasonable behavior persists
Calmly describe the consequences of violent behavior
Use delaying tactics to give the person time to calm down.
Point out choices and reassure everything will be OK
Break big problems into small choices
Accept criticism and ask clarifying questions
Ask for recommendations and repeat back what is said
Do Not:
Accept demands from the actor
Physically contact the other person
Make sudden or threatening movements
Challenge, belittle, threaten or dare the individual
Criticize or act impatient
Attempt to bargain
Try to make the situation seem less serious than it is
