Abstract
Even the most cursory of reviews of relevant literature will show the documented increase in the frequency of aggression and violence, all around the world, is difficult to ignore. Further this body of work illustrates how in the majority of cases, both historic and contemporary, the predominant response to aggression/violence is a “physical” one, emphasizing containment and custodial aspects. Accordingly, this chapter will review relevant information about “nonphysical aggression/conflict management (de-escalation),” and it will explore de-escalation/defusion of violent incident interventions. It begins by exploring the data regarding the “mechanics” of conflict situations and then proceeds to explore definitions of de-escalation. Following this, the chapter proceeds to consider the principles, rationales, and basics of efforts to implement de-escalation approaches, looks at theoretical models of de-escalation, and then reviews the evidence and outcomes associated with de-escalation interventions/philosophy. The chapter concludes by examining the skills needed for engaging in successful de-escalation.
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Bilgin, H., Ozaslan, Z. (2018). Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing Nonphysical Competencies for Managing Violence and Aggression: De-escalation and Defusion. In: Santos, J., Cutcliffe, J. (eds) European Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing in the 21st Century. Principles of Specialty Nursing. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31772-4_25
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