Before It Happens - De-escalation: Protecting Dignity While Staying Safe

This episode features Chapter 17 from the full-length audiobook Before It Happens: The Art of Staying Safe Before Violence Starts by David Burnell.

In this chapter, David Burnell teaches what might be the most powerful and underrated skill in personal defense: de-escalation.

Whether it’s a gas station standoff, a heated public argument, or an unexpected confrontation, the ability to lower the emotional temperature without losing your center can mean the difference between walking away and winding up in court—or the hospital.

You’ll learn:

• How to read the signs of escalation before it’s too late
• What to say (and how to say it) to preserve dignity without surrender
• How to use voice, body language, and presence to defuse tension
• When de-escalation shifts to tactical delay—and how to use it to escape
• Why legal and ethical restraint protects you long after the threat is gone

This isn’t about backing down. It’s about owning the moment without ego—and knowing how to exit with peace, power, and purpose.

This is a single chapter from Before It Happens: The Art of Staying Safe Before Violence Starts by David Burnell—available now on Audible, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.

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