A Guide to conflict resolution

Contents

• Attitude and Behaviour
• Zones
• Pre incident Indicators
• Communication
• Empathy
• Profiled Subject Behaviour
• Emotion & Facial Signs
• Abuse Signs
• Security

   

All of the below are areas that could by direct or indirect conversation incite a conflict situation.

• Drug and alcohol problems
• Mental health problems
• Young people or possibly minors
• Low self esteem
• Unemployment
• Hunger, lack of food
• Warmth and clothing

For example drinking a nice warm latte from Starbucks, a simple need of refreshment to you and I, but when you are in their world this could be a simple trigger.

Get me one of those mate?

You now have the situation of refusal!

So what do you do next?

On the next few pages are a few principals of conflict management that are designed to help you understand the basics.

Attitude and Behaviour

The Cycle of Conflict illustrates how our attitude and behaviour affects the attitude and behaviour of the people we interact with.

Within any interaction, our attitude whether positive or negative is reflected in our behaviour as we exchange signals on a conscious and subconscious level and we interpret those signals in order to decide what signals we want to reciprocate back. This is a continuous process within any exchange, and the reaction that we receive, is a product of the messages that we send through our words, tonality of voice, facial expressions and body language.

Without this knowledge we can become locked into an escalating cycle of confrontation.

Once we do understand this concept we are then empowered to break the cycle and use the messages that we send to de-escalate the interaction and promote a positive exchange.

• The Intimate Zone.

• The Personal Zone.

• The public Zone.

Pre Incident Indicators

• Unnatural hindering of the Crews/contributors movements.

• Mutual third party movement towards Crews/ contributors.

• Sudden changes of status of persons near to the Crew/ Contributor. These may include predatory movements such as circling and two or more persons moving in towards Crew/ Contributor from opposite directions.

• A verbal exchange with the Crew/ Contributors initiated by a stranger.

• Targeting (crew/ contributors body areas) or escape glancing by the person.

• Persons approaching the crew/ contributor at an angle.

• Persons hiding their hands causing an unnatural walking posture (possible presence of property/ weapons).

• Bumps pushes shoves or grabs towards crew/ contributor.

• Any obviously intoxicated persons.

• Attempts at baiting the crew/ contributor.

• Undue attention towards crew/ contributor.

• Vehicle stopping alongside or slightly behind crew/ contributor.

Communication

(LEAPS model of Communication)

LISTEN

It is not always easy to listen and observe not only words, but also more importantly gestures, in a conflict situation. People generally spend more time listening than they spend on any other communication activity, yet a percentage of people never really learn to listen well. One reason is that they develop poor listening skills that continue to follow them throughout life. The following list contains some of the most common poor listening habits.

Not paying attention.  Allowing themselves to be distracted, not wanting to listen often contributes to lack of attention.

Pseudo-Listening. Often when thinking about something else may deliberately try to look as though they are listening. Such pretence may leave the person with the impression that important information or instructions have been passed.

Listening but not Hearing. Sometimes you may listen to the facts of details, or to the way they were presented and miss the real meaning.

Rehearsing. Some may listen until they want to say something then stop listening, start rehearsing what they will say, and wait for the opportunity to respond.

Interpreting. May not wait until the complete meaning can be determined, but interrupts so forcefully that the subject stops in mid sentence.

Feeling Defensive. May sometimes assume they know the persons intention or why something was said, or for various other reasons expect to be verbally confronted.

Listening for a point of disagreement. May seem to wait for the chance to verbally confront the person. In this regard they may listen intently for points upon which they can disagree.

Empathy

This one word may represent the greatest bridge between cultures; it may also be one of the most powerful tools in verbally persuading another person. The key to empathy may be to actually be interested, and possibly the biggest hurdle to empathetic listening is a feeling that the person already knows what they are talking about.

The following example sentences may help in the empathetic process.

• Just let me be sure that I heard what you just said.
• Just let me be sure that I understand you.
• Just let me be sure that we understand each other.

Ask

• Closed questions
• Open questions
• Probing questions

Paraphrase

There may be nothing that a person will listen to more than a restatement of their own words. Interest the person and make them listen.

The person is listening and you are talking. You have taken control.

You can only respond effectively to a person if you heard them correctly. Are you sure you heard correctly.

Being correct is not the issue. Making an attempt to get it correct is the issue. You have created empathy.

Summarise

Considering the facts, being brief and decisive. May assist, before taking action.

Profiled Subject Behaviour

• Compliance   The person offers no resistance and complies with requests.
• Verbal resistance/gestures      refuses to comply verbally, non verbally or by body language.
• Passive resistance         stands still, sits still and will not move.
• Active resistance   pulls away pushes but no attempt to strike.
• Aggressive resistance     physically attacks.
• Serious/aggravated resistance         commits assault which present the possibility of serious injury.

Person: Impact Factors

• Sex, Age, size of person
• Strength of person
• Skill level
• Exhaustion
• Injury
• Number of persons
• Alcohol consumed
• Drugs taken
• State of persons mental health
• Persons  perception of the non verbal behaviour of Crew/Contributor

Object: Impact Factors

• Weapons
• Vehicles
• Objects on the ground

Place: Impact Factors

• Environmental features
• Crowds or venues in the vicinity
• Other dangers not directly associated with the incident

SIGNS

We all know and recognise facial expressions, when they are in this form they are easy to recognise.

Emotions

Here are some of the facial signals that you might see for different emotions. Do note that these are only possible indicators: not all signals are needed and not all signals indicated here necessarily indicate the associated emotion.

 Alcohol Abuse Warning Signs:

• odour on the breath
• intoxication
• difficulty focusing: glazed appearance of the eyes
• uncharacteristically passive behaviour; or combative and argumentative behaviour
• gradual (or sudden in adolescents) deterioration in personal appearance and hygiene
• gradual development of dysfunction, especially in job performance or school work
• absenteeism (particularly on Monday)
• unexplained bruises and accidents
• irritability
• flushed skin
• loss of memory (blackouts)
• availability and consumption of alcohol becomes the focus of social or professional activities
• changes in peer-group associations and friendships
• impaired interpersonal relationships (troubled marriage, unexplainable termination of deep relationships, alienation from close family members)

Depressant Abuse Warning Signs:

There are few readily apparent symptoms of depressant abuse, which may be indicated by activities such as frequent visits to different physicians for prescriptions to treat "nervousness," "anxiety," "stress," and so on.

• symptoms of alcohol intoxication with no alcohol odour on breath (remember that depressants are frequently used with alcohol)
• lack of facial expression or animation
• flat affect
• flaccid appearance
• slurred speech

Hallucinogen Abuse Warning Signs:

• extremely dilated pupils
• warm skin, excessive perspiration and body odour
• distorted sense of sight, hearing, touch; distorted image of self and time perception
• mood and behaviour changes, the extent depending on emotional state of the user and environmental conditions
• unpredictable flashback episodes, even long after withdrawal (although these are rare)

Inhalant Abuse Warning Signs:

• substance odour on breath and clothes
• runny nose
• watering eyes
• drowsiness or unconsciousness
• poor muscle control
• prefers group activity to being alone
• presence of bags or rags containing dry plastic cement or other solvent at home, in locker at school, or at work
• discarded whipped cream, spray paint, or similar chargers (users of nitrous oxide)
• small bottles labelled "incense" (users of butyl nitrite)

Marijuana Abuse Warning Signs:

Marijuana users are difficult to recognize unless they are under the influence of the drug at the time of observation. Casual users may show none of the general symptoms.

• rapid, loud talking and bursts of laughter in early stages of intoxication
• sleepy or drowsy in the later stages
• forgetfulness in conversation
• inflammation in whites of eyes; pupils unlikely to be dilated
• odour similar to burnt rope on clothing or breath
• tendency to drive slowly - below speed limit
• distorted sense of time passage - tendency to overestimate time intervals
• use or possession of paraphernalia including roach clip, packs of rolling papers, pipes or bongs

Narcotic Abuse Warning Signs:

• lethargy and drowsiness
• constricted pupils fail to respond to light
• redness and raw nostrils from inhaling heroin in powder form, possibly traces of white powder on nostril
• scars (tracks) on inner arms or other parts of body from needle injections
• use or possession of paraphernalia, including syringes, bent spoons, bottle caps, eye droppers, rubber tubing, cotton, and needles; such items may be left in lockers or drawers at work or school, or hidden at home

PCP (Angel Dust) Abuse Warning Signs:

• unpredictable behaviour; mood may swing from passiveness to violence for no apparent reason
• symptoms of intoxication
• disorientation; agitation and violence if exposed to excessive sensory stimulation
• fear, terror
• rigid muscles
• strange gait
• deadened sensory perception (may experience severe injuries while appearing not to notice)
• pupils may appear dilated
• mask-like facial appearance
• floating pupils, appear to follow a moving object
• comatose (unresponsive) if large amount consumed; eyes may be open or closed

Stimulant Abuse Warning Signs:

• dry mouth and nose, bad breath, frequent lip-licking
• excessive activity, difficulty sitting still, lack of interest in food or sleep
• irritability, argumentative nature, nervousness
• talkative, but conversation often lacks continuity; changes subjects rapidly
• runny nose, cold or chronic sinus/nasal problems, nosebleeds
• use or possession of paraphernalia including small spoons, razor blades, mirror, little bottles of white powder and plastic, glass or metal straws