Deëscalation tip #48

 What if you are threatened with a weapon?

The Crisis Prevention Institute says: 

"If the person senses that you're losing control, their behavior will most likely escalate. So keep the following tips in mind until professional assistance arrives:

• Take threats seriously. If anyone communicates any possibility of using a weapon against you, assume that they have one even if you can't see it or verify it immediately.
• Step back. Try to negotiate permission to take at least three steps away from the individual. If allowed, the increased distance can reduce both anxiety and weapon accuracy.
• Avoid reaching for the weapon. Attempting to disarm a person with a weapon can be extremely dangerous.
• Focus on the individual rather than the weapon. When threatened, we tend to focus on the weapon. Shifting your focus to the individual will remind you that the real danger is not in the weapon itself, but in the aggressor's behavior.
• Negotiate. Make basic requests to solicit affirmative responses. The more the aggressor says "yes" to you, the less likely the weapon is to be used against you.
• Buy time. Time is an asset. The longer you can talk to an aggressive individual, the less likely it is that the weapon will be used."

Perhaps most important of all, remember that any previous interactions will play a critical role in the outcome of an incident involving a weapon. Not all gun violence involves people who know each other. And no one can guarantee that if you treat people well they will never attempt to use a weapon against you. But if you consistently interact with people in a considerate and respectful manner, you are less likely to become a target of violence.