Chapter Three

© 2013 by Pearson Higher Education, Inc
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Crisis Intervention
William Harmening
Roosevelt University
Harmening, Crisis Intervention: The Criminal Justice Response to Chaos, Mayhem, and
Disaster
Chapter 3
CRISIS COMMUNICATION

3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
To summarize the importance of communication to crisis
intervention.
To define the basic tenants of Transactional Analysis as a model
for crisis communication.
To list and explain the typical communication patterns of those
in crisis.
To summarize the communication skills necessary to effectively
de-escalate a person in crisis.
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

Understand the importance of
communication to the crisis intervention
process.
Learning Objectives
After this lecture, you should be able to complete the following Learning Outcomes
3.1

3.1 The Role of Communication
Containment and De-escalation
• A police or correctional officer’s most effective weapon is
their ability to communicate. Done properly it can de-escalate
a crisis. Done improperly it can have the opposite effect.
• The primary goal of crisis communication is twofold:
• CONTAINMENT
• DE-ESCALATION
• Communication is the first and most important step in the use
of force. It is hoped that effective communication will render the
use of physical or deadly force unecessary.

3.1 The Role of Communication
Containment and De-escalation
• Police and Correctional Departments invest large amounts of
money in communication training for its officers.
• Most state-mandated academy programs now require a
certain number of hours of training in this area.
• The more effective officers are at communicating, the less
liability to the departments and ultimately the taxpaying public.
HOW WELL AN OFFICER COMMUNICATES CAN MEAN THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH, INCLUDING THE OFFICER’S
OWN.

Define the basic tenants of Transactional
Analysis as a model for crisis
communication.
Learning Objectives
3.2

3.2 Transactional Analysis
T.A. – A Communication Model
• Developed by Dr. Eric Berne (1958), a Canadian psychiatrist
who studied the communication patterns of his patients.
• Referred to verbal and non-verbal exchanges between people
as TRANSACTIONS.
• People tend to shift between various styles of communication
during transactions, depending on their motives.
• According to Berne, people communicate from one of three
EGO STATES:
PARENT • ADULT • CHILD

When We communicate from our PARENT, we are
communicating in ways similar to how our parents
communicated with us when we were children. This part of
our personality is the storehouse for all the
rules, imperatives, and values we were taught as children.
ADULT
PARENT
CHILD
From the ADULT we communicate on a cognitive level rather
than an emotional one. The adult responds to information in
a rational and objective way.
The CHILD ego state includes all of our emotions and
feelings developed and learned during childhood.
Communication from this ego state tends to be
irrational, emotional, and egocentric. People in crisis tend to
communicate from their child ego state.

T.A. – A Communication Model (Parent Ego State)
• Developed during childhood as we internalize parental
norms and expectations.
• These norms and expectations influence us both
consciously and unconsciously.
• Simply put, when responding from our PARENT, we tend to
respond in ways similar to how our parents responded to us.
• We may respond from either our CRITICAL PARENT or our
NURTURING PARENT.
• CRITICAL PARENT demands, directs, orders, and seeks
compliance.
• NURTURING PARENT demonstrates
compassion, fairness, and honesty.
ADULT
PARENT
CHILD

Both the critical and nurturing parent can be either positive or
negative
ADULT
PARENT
CHILD •Authoritarian
•Hypercritical
•Oppositional
•Inconsistent
•Fearful
•Needy
•Insecure
•Over-Protective
•Authoritative
•Fair
•Demanding
•Consistent
•Care giving
•Protective
•Sympathetic
•Supportive
Positive
Nurturing
Parent
Positive
Critical
Parent
Negative
Critical
Parent
Negative
Nurturing
Parent

FOUR FUNCTIONAL MODES (PARENT)
• Positive Nurturing Parent (Caring)
Officer: “I’m going to give you a ticket for speeding because I want you to learn
from this. I don’t want to see you in a bad accident someday.”
• Positive Critical parent (Authoritative)
Officer: “I’m giving you a ticket just like I give everyone else. It’s against the law to
speed, and I’m here to enforce the law.
• Negative Nurturing Parent (Needy)
Officer: “I’ll let you go this time with a warning. I was a kid once. You should tell
your friends what a good guy I am.”
• Negative Critical Parent (Oppositional)
Officer: “If you want to race cars, go to the racetrack! You’re not going to act stupid
like this in my town!
ADULT
PARENT
CHILD

T.A. – A Communication Model (Child Ego State)
• Developed during childhood through interactions with our
parents.
• Includes our feelings and felt emotions.
• People in crisis tend to respond from their CHILD ego
state, as do intoxicated people.
• We may respond from either our NATURAL CHILD or our
ADAPTED CHILD.
• NATURAL CHILD is the raw emotional part of our
personality. Spontaneous, selfish, and with little concern for
others. It is how we naturally acted as a child, mostly when
our parents were not present.
• ADAPTED CHILD seeks acceptance, and is manipulative to
gain it. The adapted child nags, complains, and protests to
get its way. Includes the strategies we learned as children to
deal with our parents.
ADULT
PARENT
CHILD

ADULT
PARENT
CHILD
Both the critical and nurturing parent can be either positive or
negative
•Avoidant
•Aggressive
•Emotional
•Impulsive
•Manipulative
•Passive-aggressive
•Secretive
•Calculating
•Fun-loving
•Playful
•Personable
•Spontaneous
•Achieving
•Compliant
•Acceptance-
seeking
•Sociable
Positive
Adapted
Child
Positive
Natural
Child
Negative
Natural
Child
Negative
Adapted
Child

FOUR FUNCTIONAL MODES (CHILD)
• Positive Adapted Child (Acceptance-seeking)
Officer: “I’m not here to cause problems for anyone. We all have to live in this town
together. Just slow it down please. I’ll let you go with a warning.”
• Positive Natural Child (Fun-loving)
Officer: “Hey man, I love your car! In fact, I love it so much I’m going to give you a
break!”
• Negative Adapted Child (Manipulative)
Officer: “I don’t see a phone number here on your driver’s license. Maybe if you
give it to me we can work something out later to avoid a ticket.”
• Negative Natural Child (Aggressive)
Officer: “You just ruined a perfectly good nap there hotrod! You’re definitely getting
a ticket!”
ADULT
PARENT
CHILD

T.A. – A Communication Model (Adult Ego State)
• The rational problem-solving component of our
personality.
• The message of this ego state is “only the facts please.”
• When an officer maintains a professional demeanor they
are responding from their adult ego state. They respond
without emotion.
• Responding from the adult ego state is an important factor
in containing and de-escalating crisis.
ADULT
PARENT
CHILD

During a transaction, people will shift between ego states. Police officers can use this to their advantage.
Consider the classic “good cop-bad cop” interrogation method…
Officer no. 1: “Look scumbag, we know you did it, and I want your confession now or I’m
really going to lose my temper!!”
Suspect to officer no. 2: “Tell your friend to back off!
Officer no. 2 to officer no. 1: “Hey man, take a break! You’ve had a long day.”
Officer no. 2 to suspect: “Sorry man, I don’t know what got into him. He can act pretty stupid
sometimes. Can I get you a cup of coffee?”
Suspect to officer no. 2: “Just keep him out of here and this will go much better.”
Officer no. 2 to suspect: “It’s just you and me now. You seem like the type of person who
needs to get something like this off his chest? This is your chance to do the right thing. I’ll
help you anyway I can.”
Suspect to officer no. 2: “I swear it was an accident!”
PARENT
CHILD
CHILD
PARENT
CHILD
ADULT
Officer no. 2 to suspect: “I understand. Now let’s go back to the beginning. Tell me what
happened the night of February 6th.”

T.A. – A Communication Model (Contamination)
PARENT
CHILD
ADULT
PARENT
CHILD
ADULT
Parent contaminated
adult
Child
contaminated adult
When a person, including a police or correctional officer, experiences
contamination, their adult ego state has lost its ability to mediate internal conflict
due to the disproportionate influence of wither the parent or child ego state.
The “tough guy” who tries to
intimidate, bully, and control
others as a routine way of
behaving. Corrupt police
officers tend to fall in this
category, as well as aggressive
offenders, such as abusive
husbands and habitual brawlers.
These individuals tend to be
impulsive, deceptive, and
manipulative. As police
officers, they are routinely
dishonest and less than
professional. They may lie in
their reports and even fabricate
evidence. Habitual criminals
such as bank robbers, thieves
and pedophiles tend to fall in
this category.

List and explain the typical
communication patterns of those in crisis.
Learning Objectives
3.3

3.3 Communication Patterns
Transactions
It is critical that police and correctional officers be able to answer four
important questions when engaged in a transaction, especially one
involving a crisis.
• From which ego state is the other person communicating?
• From which ego state are they communicating?
• Which ego state would be the most effective with this particular
individual and situation?
• How can they influence the other person’s ego state in order to get
them to a place where effective communication can take place?

Transactions – The Parallel Transaction
Both parties clearly understand the words and intentions of the
other. They are effectively communicating, though the substance
of the communication is not always best for the given situation. It
can be said that they are “on the same wavelength.”
Even a verbal confrontation, though not desirable, can be
parallel when both combatants clearly understand each other.

Parent-Child Parallel Transaction
Officer: “Is there a reason you’re
driving like a maniac?”
Speeder: “I’m sorry officer. Please give
me a break. It’ll be my third ticket.”
Officer: “Your problems are not my
fault. Now give me your license. You’re
getting a ticket!”
Speeder: “Please officer, I’m begging
you. I’ll lose my job!”
In this short exchange the officer is
responding from their negative critical
parent, and the speeder from their negative
adapted child. There are no
misunderstandings. Because it’s
parallel, each reinforces the other’s
communication style.
ADULT
PARENT
CHILD
ADULT
PARENT
CHILD

Child-Child Parallel Transaction
Officer: “It looks like this just isn’t your
day, pal!”
Speeder: “Why don’t you find some
real criminals to harass!”
Officer: “Why should I when I have
jerks like you to mess with?”
Speeder: “You’re a big tough guy
when you can hide behind that
badge.”
Officer: “Well why don’t I just take this
badge off and you can find out how
tough I am!”
In this exchange, neither party is acting
rational. They are both responding with
emotion from their child ego state. Their
transaction is predictable, making it parallel.
ADULT
PARENT
CHILD
ADULT
PARENT
CHILD

Transactions – The Crossed Transaction
This occurs when two people are no longer effectively
communicating, either with good or bad intentions. It can be said
that they have their “wires crossed.”
In this case, the transaction is not predictable because one of the
participants is communicating from an ego state other than the
one to whom the other person is directing their communication.

ADULT
PARENT
CHILD
ADULT
PARENT
CHILD
Officer: “Is there a reason you’re
driving like a maniac?”
Speeder: “Look pal, you don’t know
who I am! You better get back in that
squad car and forget you ever
stopped me!”
Officer: “I need to see your
license, and NOW!”
Speeder: “Who do you think you
are, talking to me like that?”
In this exchange, both parties are
responding from their critical parent to the
other’s child. Simply put, they are both
talking down to the other.
Now let’s see what happens when the
transaction continues….

Officer: “I’m the law, that’s who I am!”
Speeder: “Yeah, you’re right officer. I
guess I’m just having a bad day.”
Officer: “Your license please.”
Speeder: “I guess I blew my chances
for a break?”
Officer: “I would have written the ticket
anyway. You really need to slow down
in this part of town. There’s a school
right around the corner.”
Now the officer continues to respond from
their critical parent, but from a positive
functional mode. And the speeder has
switched to their positive adaptive child. We
now have a parallel transaction.
ADULT
PARENT
CHILD
ADULT
PARENT
CHILD

Transactions – The Crisis Transaction
• People in crisis tend to respond from either their negative
natural or adapted child. They are almost always highly
emotional, irrational, and unpredictable.
• There are two predominant goals of crisis communication;
first, to maintain a parallel transaction; and second, to HOOK the
person into an adult-adult parallel transaction.
• Hooking is a communication device that is intended to
manipulate the person into communicating from a rational, non-
emotional, and non-confrontational mode.

Consider the following…..
Subject: “I’m tired of living! Just leave
me alone and let me shoot myself!”
Officer: “Sir, you’re in violation of the
law by having that weapon. I’m going
to ask you to put it down and place
your hands against the wall.”
Here we have a crossed and
ineffective transaction. The subject will
interpret the officer’s demeanor as
unresponsive and uncaring, potentially
escalating the situation.
Now let’s look at this example from a
different perspective….
ADULT
PARENT
CHILD
ADULT
PARENT
CHILD

Officer: “Believe me, I understand what
you’re saying. Life is not easy for any of
us at times. Mine’s as screwed up as
the next guy’s!”
This type of transaction can be
effective, but must be used with
caution. It’s purpose is to make a
connection with the person in crisis in
an effort to hook them into a parallel
transaction.
In this case the officer determines that
to respond from his nurturing parent
will not be effective. Instead he
responds from his child ego state.
ADULT
PARENT
CHILD
ADULT
PARENT
CHILD

Officer: “Believe me, I understand what
you’re saying. Life isn’t easy for any of
us at times. Mine’s as screwed up as
the next guy’s!”
Subject: “But at least you still have a
job!”
Officer: “Yeah, and a failed marriage
and more bills than I can pay!”
Subject: “Man I know that story well…”
Now the officer has hooked the
subject into responding to his
child, thus creating a parallel
transaction.
ADULT
PARENT
CHILD
ADULT
PARENT
CHILD

Subject: “I guess I’m just tired of living!
No one loves me, or cares if I live or
die”
Officer: “I’m here to help, and I care if
you live or die.”
Now the officer has moved the
transaction from a child-child parallel
transaction (the hook), to a child-
nurturing adult parallel transaction, an
ideal transaction in this type of
scenario.
ADULT
PARENT
CHILD
ADULT
PARENT
CHILD

Summarize the communication skills
necessary to effectively de-escalate a
person in crisis.
Learning Objectives
3.4

3.4 Active Listening Skills
Building Rapport
In order to contain and de-escalate a person in crisis, the officer must
establish rapport with the individual. This accomplished through a series of
techniques we refer to as ACTIVE LISTENING techniques.
• Minimal Encouragements: Short verbal replies that demonstrate the officer’s concern for what
the person in crisis is saying. “I understand”… “I see.”
• Paraphrasing: Repeating the person’s words back to them to demonstrate that they are
listening and that they understand.
• Emotion-labeling: Paraphrasing what the person has said by attaching a label to the
emotion, such as “it sounds as though the fight with your wife made you very angry.” This
demonstrates to the person that officer understands not only what they are saying, but also
feeling.
• Open-ended questions: Invites the person to talk. The more they talk, the more likely the
officer will be able to de-escalate the crisis.
• “I” messages: This will personalize the officer and facilitate a connection.
• Effective pauses: Silence is uncomfortable, and may cause the person to keep talking. May
also diffuse a confrontational exchange.

An officer’s most effective weapon is his or her ability to communicate. It
can mean the difference between life and death, and is the first step in
the use of force. Mosr departments go to great expense training their
officers to communicate.
Transactional Analysis is a communication model that looks at
communication in terms of motives and ego states. People communicate
from either their PARENT, ADULT, or CHILD ego state, all of which develop
during childhood through the child’s interactions with their parent(s).
There are various types of transactions, including parallel and crossed.
Parallel transactions allow people to effectively communicate. Crossed
transactions preclude effective communication. The goal of crisis
communication is to hook the person into a parallel transaction to begin
the process of de-escalation.
In order to de-escalate a crisis, the officer must establish rapport with the person in
crisis. This is done through a series of communication techniques referred to as ACTIVE
LISTENING techniques.
CHAPTER SUMMARY
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Consider a male police officer responding to a domestic
dispute involving a verbally abusive husband. How might
the officer respond, and what types of things might he
say, if he were to respond from his critical parent? From his
adult? From his natural child?
2. Think of someone in your life who is routinely
argumentative, perhaps a friend or family member.
Describe the tactic you typically employ to thwart their
efforts to suck you into the argument, and then relate that
tactic to “hooking.”
3. Should male and female criminal justice professionals use
the same communication style and tactics in any given
situation, or are there gender differences in terms of what
communication style works best?

Chapter Three

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