Student De-Escalation Strategies

With each new school year, a new set of students brings new personalities and potentially new challenges. The pandemic brought additional challenges for all school staff as they dealt with difficult student behaviors.

Below are several suggestions from the Crisis Prevention Institute to help educators de-escalate situations in a classroom.

1-Show Empathy

Whether you believe a student’s behavior is irrational or not, is not at issue. The feelings of your student are real to them, so in turn they are justified. Don’t ignore those feelings and keep in mind whatever your student is experiencing in that moment is the most important thing for them at the time.

2-Personal Space

Boundaries are important. Keep your distance from your student, if possible three feet away from the person who is in crisis. Giving space allows the situation to diffuse, decreasing the person’s anxiety and can help prevent acting out. Explain to your student why you are backing up, so they understand and are not scared by the action.

3-Control Body Language & Voice

Pay attention to how you stand, your facial expressions, and your gestures. Your body speaks volumes without saying a word. When your student is in crisis, they are less likely to hear your words so your tone and body language should remain calm to help defuse the situation.

4-Remain Calm

While you can’t control someone else's behavior, you can control how you react to it which will have a direct effect on the overall situation. Think positively and tell yourself you can handle the situation. Your calm tone and reaction will help.

5-Feelings Over Facts

Facts matter, but in the moment, feelings should be the focus of your reaction. Watch a student’s body language and listen to what they are really saying. React with ‘feeling statements’ like, “that must be hard for you.” Supportive words will tell your student you understand them and what is happening.

6-Deflect Challenging Questions

When confronted with a challenging question, ignore it to avoid a power struggle. When your authority is challenged, redirect instead to focus on the actual issue. Bring the student’s focus to how you can work together to solve the problem.

7-Create Boundaries

If a student’s behavior is physical, disruptive or dangerous give them clear, simple boundaries. Offer simple choices and consequences. When a student is upset, hearing you may be difficult, so be sure to speak in simple terms offering the most positive behavior choice first.

8-Be Flexible

If you can, and the situation allows, offer your student options and flexibility to avoid possible additional issues. For example, if you need a student to take a quiet seat away from a class, offer a choice as to where they sit or in what room. Be thoughtful about which rules are flexible and which are not.

9-Be Quiet

Just as choosing your words wisely will help de-escalate a situation, the lack of words will also help. Allow your student to have some quiet time to reflect on the situation and decide how to move forward.

10-Take Time

When someone is rushed, stress levels may rise. Both you and the student should take some time to think about what happened, find solutions and process. Time can help bring calm to the situation.