Verbal De-Escalation Training for Corrections: Surviving Verbal Conflict®

Today’s increased service demands and scrutiny placed upon corrections have resulted in a growing need to master verbal conflict management skills. When negative verbal encounters escalate to the point where physical intervention is used, criticism often abounds when it is later discovered that there is little evidence of verbal de-escalation techniques employed by our personnel. This is particularly true when incident video and audio reviews are utilized. In some cases, it has become clear that the verbal actions of correction professionals actually served to escalate the situation. Administrators are now asking, have we adequately trained our personnel to successfully manage and respond to verbal confrontations in a professional manner? 

Surviving Verbal Conflict® training provides corrections with time-tested communications skills proven to help de-escalate volatile situations, safeguard fellow correction professionals’ emotional and professional well-being, and significantly enhance the agency’s professional image. And, in the event that de-escalation proves impossible, the utilization of these techniques makes use of force decisions more readily defensible in the courtroom and in the public eye.