De-escalation

De-escalation

This is a commonlly used term in Social Work practice. It is used as an anger management tool to remove tension between two participants in a conflictual relationship or intervention. A cooling off period is experienced and then the potential for further communication is invited

De-escalation refers to behavior that is intended to escape the escalation of commitment bias. Since escalation of commitment often has the tenets of escalation of conflict, it can also refer to approaches in conflict resolution. This often involves techniques such as taking a time-out, and deflecting the conversation to individuals in the group who are less passionately involved.