Conflict management and aggression handling
Conflict management rests on de-escalation. Understand the escalation curve (frustration → verbal aggression → physical aggression) and intervene early at the verbal stage. Core techniques: active listening (paraphrase, reflect feelings), empathy without agreement, calm tone and open body language, giving choices within limits, and creating distance and time.
Know the stages of a crisis and the signs of imminent aggression: clenched fists, fixed stare, rapid breathing, change in voice, invasion of personal space. Your response: maintain a safe distance (at least 1.5–2 m), position yourself near an exit, avoid cornering the person, keep hands visible, and call for backup early. Never turn your back, never touch first unless necessary, and never argue about who is right - argue about what happens next.
Traps: (1) thinking de-escalation means giving in - it means solving the problem safely; (2) matching the aggressor's tone; (3) using physical restraint as a first response; (4) forgetting the aftermath: the person may calm but you must still document and check for injuries; (5) ignoring bystanders and the crowd effect.
Worked example: A visitor shouts that he will not leave without seeing the manager. You: acknowledge ("I understand this is frustrating"), explain the limit ("I cannot let you past, but I can call the manager"), offer a choice ("wait here or in the seating area"), and set a time limit. If he advances, you step back, keep hands visible, and call backup. Rule of thumb: slow down, lower your voice, widen the distance, offer a choice.
Also know the post-incident debrief, the duty to report threats, and the prohibition of humiliating or degrading treatment even toward an aggressor. Special care for vulnerable persons (intoxicated, confused, minors).