De-escalation

De-escalation refers to behavior that is intended to nullify the process of conflict escalation. Since escalation of commitment often has the tenets of escalation of conflict, it can also refer to approaches in conflict resolution. This often involves techniques such as taking a time-out, and deflecting the conversation to individuals in the group who are less passionately involved. This is a commonly used term in social work practice. It is also used as an anger management tool to remove tension between two participants in a conflictual relationship or intervention.