What is De-escalation?

De-escalation. A word we frequently use across education and health and social care when thinking about behaviour support. We know that to reduce risk, mitigate or avoid crisis, and offer the best support to individuals, de-escalation is often the most effective option.

The question is: are we clear about what is meant by de-escalation, why it matters, and how to de-escalate situations successfully in our settings, before crisis is reached?

De-escalation as pivotal to effective behaviour support

Sometimes, when we encounter distressed behaviour, or witness individuals in crisis, there may have been opportunities to intervene – or de-escalate – earlier; opportunities that could have prevented situations from escalating.

Often, those early warning signs are very subtle and can be easily missed. However, when we do spot them, taking prompt and decisive action can mean that risk is reduced for everyone, and individuals can avoid continuing into crisis. Using timely de-escalation strategies also means that we can often decrease, or even eliminate, the need for restraint and other restrictive practices.

In a nutshell, de-escalation is pivotal to effective behaviour support.

Read our article, 5 Strategies for Meaningful De-escalation.

A toolkit approach to de-escalation strategies

It can be helpful to think of de-escalation as a toolkit of positive, proactive measures that are designed to defuse escalating situations, and help individuals re-regulate and calm themselves down.

To de-escalate effectively, we can focus on reassurance, communication, and diversion to support individuals when they show early signs of dysregulation. We can pause and try to understand the function of the behaviour and what is driving it. This allows us to respond in a considered, measured manner, rather than reacting automatically to what is going on.

As well as focusing on the individual involved, we can also look at what we are bringing to the situation, and consider how we can adapt our body language, voice, posture and facial expression to further support de-escalation.

De-escalation and the Stages of Distress and Support model

Understanding the stage of distress an individual is experiencing can help us decide on the best response to meet their unique needs and de-escalate the situation. To do this, we can use the Team Teach Stages of Distress and Support model as a helpful reference point.

While not always linear or clear-cut, there are stages that an individual can experience before, during and after crisis. These phases fall into 6 categories: