Key Aspects of De-escalation
There are 5 Key areas of De-Escalation:
- Communication
- Knowing individuals
- Early intervention
- Planning
- Review and reflection
COMMUNICATION
De-escalation is a Communication-based intervention, embedded in every day contexts and routines. Adults provide a positive role model for children & young people & a scaffold for learning. De-escalation is based on a process of coaching and feedback. The time spent on Review and Reflection is an important part of the process.
KNOWING INDIVIDUALS
We need to be aware of and understand the triggers of the individuals we are supporting. We also need to be aware of what supports & motivates our children & young people.
EARLY INTERVENTION
Once these are identified we have much more chance of staging an early intervention before the situation escalates. Stepping in quickly is an important element of successful de-escalation – to avoid crisis point!
PLANNING
If you have identified a trigger situation and you can see child or young person is about to cross the threshold, it is important to have a plan of action for the child or young person which will support them manage their responses.
What this involves will depend entirely on the individual, some of the common strategies include:
Distraction – have a task which is mechanical in nature, repetitive and tactile e.g. threading beads, sorting activities or for older children it might involve a typing exercise or ‘job’. This might need to be in a ‘safe space’, not necessarily outwith the classroom.
Naming the problem – It might be important for you as the adult to articulate the individual’s feelings e.g. ‘I can see that you are angry’ or ‘ you look upset’. This could help the child or young person to think about how they are feeling and identify what makes them feel that way. It also values and acknowledges their feelings.
REVIEW & REFLECTION
However, sometimes it is not possible for early intervention or your action plan might fail so it is important the situation is review and reflect with the child or young person at a time when they are able to manage this conversation.
This can be done by asking the child or young person to create a journey of the events which led up to the incident. This then becomes an action plan because the child or young person is able to use this to plan for the next time.
Fife’s De-escalation Pack provides some useful strategies and further information.
Here are some further practical approaches which can be implemented in your setting:
Regulate – Relate – Reason
When supporting a child or young person to de-escalate, Bruce Perry recommends a 3 step sequential process – Regulate, Relate then Reason:
Each step is explained further in these infographics from Chris Moore:
Regulate –
Relate –
Reason –
You can also find additional helpful infographics at Dr Chris Moore’s website: www.epinsight.com
Brainstem Calmers
The team at Beacon House has shared a helpful list of activities which help C&YP to feel calm.
