9 Deescalation Tips from JTFSecurity Group Inc.

Have you ever been in the middle of a heated conflict where deescalation could have been useful? Here are 9 useful, basic but important tips to help you deescalate a situation without the use of force and in a respectful way. In a nutshell, it all comes down to how you present yourself: your tone of voice, your behavior, your body language, and your attire all effect the response of the people involved. 

Always remember that your safety should be your top priority. 

1. Always introduce yourself ~ Once you have assessed all the potential threats and feel confident that you can help the situation through dialogue, introduce yourself.
2. Always treat others the way you would want to be treated
3. Talk in a respectable way ~ Choose your words wisely and keep your tone of voice calm.
4. Avoid trigger phrases like ”calm down” ~ Saying trigger phrases may offend some and could potentially make the situation worse.
5. Do not take things personally
6. Stay relaxed ~ From your body language to your tone of voice and physical movements, staying relaxed is imperative to calm everyone down and not make things worse.
7. Try to relate to the arguing parties ~ Try to find things to relate to the arguing parties as they might listen to you more if you have things in common. For example, if you speak a foreign language and one of the arguing parties clearly talks that language, try communicating with them that way.
8. Pick up trigger elements ~ Try to stay away from any dialogue that directly triggers one of the parties involved. Not only is it a way to personally stay safe, but it will help with deescalation.
9. Practice active listening ~ Allow space and time for people to talk and express themselves. Make sure that you repeat what you have heard to make sure everyone understands one’s point of view.