The goal of de-escalation is to calm down the child or youth so they can handle the situation and get a better result.
The following actions can help to de-escalate a situation:
- Project empathy, even if you don’t agree with the child or youth. Understand the child or youth’s perspective.
- If the child or youth ran away, discuss the event with the child or youth. Did the runaway prevention plan’s boundaries and expectations help the child or youth to feel safe or supported?
- Ask for behavior to be redirected. People respond better to being asked rather than told.
