NCJ Number
172446
Journal
Security Management Volume: 41 Issue: 12 Dated: (December 1997) Pages: 46-49,51
Date Published
1997
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Because confrontations and heated exchanges can quickly spiral out of control and lead to physical injuries and violence, conflict resolution training may provide valuable skills to help security personnel remain calm during confrontations and settle arguments before the become more serious problems.
Abstract
Conflict resolution philosophies are of two types, the threat escalation model and the behavioral model. The threat escalation model teaches security personnel that people may be a threat to them and that conflicts must be resolved by an authoritarian figure who clearly establishes rules and instructs an aggressor to follow them or leave the property. The behavioral model teaches security personnel that their behavior will affect the outcome of a conflict. Although each conflict resolution philosophy stresses different methods and is based on different perspectives, all conflict resolution strategies include nonverbal, verbal, and physical control skills. Security managers must consider occupational culture in determining whether security personnel under them are operating in an environment that nourishes conflict resolution techniques or encourages aggressive tendencies. A conflict resolution occupational culture is one that instructs, directs, coaches, and reinforces positive behaviors so that security personnel are more likely to seek peaceful resolutions than to engage in provocative actions.