Security Officers: Verbal De-Escalation

Security officers often interact with individuals that are angry, under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and/or those that are committing crimes. The goal of any such encounter is to end it without the need for a physical confrontation. So, how are security officers trained to use verbal de-escalation techniques to calm a tense, potentially volatile situation?: 

• Use a calm voice - The tone and volume can quickly escalate a confrontation. Security Officers know to maintain a calm, quieting tone and volume to help de-escalate a tense encounter. Yelling back at the individual seldom leads to a positive outcome. 
• Patience - Officers know that when someone is emotionally upset it takes time for them to calm down. Yelling at someone, "Calm Down!" is never effective. Patience in taking the time to calm the individual, allowing them time to slow the release of adrenaline in their body will greatly help in de-escalating the situation. 
• Use active listening - Security officers, when encountering an upset individual, know that all things are not as they seem. Using active listening techniques allows the individual to calm down, while the officer has a chance to accurately identify the issues they are experiencing. Active listening includes not interrupting the individual - allow them the opportunity to get it out verbally; paraphrasing what the individual said to ensure they understand it accurately, and again, patience. 
• Not to take it personally - Being humble, not taking comments from an upset individual to heart is the key that all security officers know. It's difficult to maintain this mind-set when someone is screaming at you, calling you names, but experienced officers take in to account the situation, they understand the biological changes the individual is undergoing in a stressful situation, and above all, they know they have a job to do which is to de-escalate the situation. 

These are a few of the techniques that security officers learn from training and experience to use in a tense situation. The goal is to have a calm outcome. Unfortunately they do not always work, but employing these techniques and others will increase the chances of a positive outcome for all.