Pressley Ridge Stages of Crisis
Remember these important crisis facts from Pressley Ridge Training:
- A child’s acting out of overwhelming emotions is not simple misbehavior.
- A crisis is time-limited and has a beginning, middle and end. It will not last forever!
- The way adults respond to children in crisis will greatly influence the outcome of the crisis.
- Crisis is an opportunity to teach and learn.
Description of Stage
A stressful event happens to your child and opens the floodgate of strong emotions.
Child Behavior
Calm, relaxed, usual manner
Resource Parent Goals
Normal parental response
Interventions
None needed
Description of Stage
A stressful event happens to your child and opens the floodgate of strong emotions.
Child Behavior
Your child is not yet overwhelmed with feelings, can still think rationally and respond to verbal instruction.
Resource Parent Goals
Your goal is to recognize your child’s triggers or antecedent and the emotions caused by it.
You also need to make self-management decisions about how you will handle your stress, emotions, and actions. It is time to use your crisis prevention plan.
Interventions
- Asking questions
- Active listening
- Proximity/Prompting
- Redirection
- Selective Attention
- Clear and Specific Choices
- Time-Away
- Conflict Resolution
Description of Stage
Your child is increasingly acting out feelings and emotions are close to boiling over.
As your child’s emotions escalate and threaten to overwhelm them, the safety of the child and others becomes a greater concern.
Child Behavior
Your child may display elevated levels of behavior like rapid movement (pacing, swinging arms), louder voice tone, and more vivid facial expressions.
Your child’s thinking and judgment is now impaired; it is harder for them to predict the consequences of their behavior.
Resource Parent Goals
Your goal is to de-escalate your child so they can manage behavior without becoming overwhelmed by emotions.
Keep your non-verbal behavior non-threatening, give your child space, and ask them to sit with you.
Interventions
- Active Listening
- Redirection
- Directive Statements
- Clear and Specific Choices
- If-Then Statements
- Time-Away
- Managing Physical Interaction
Description of Stage
Your child is totally overwhelmed by strong emotions, coping skills have failed, and they are no longer in control of their behavior.
As your child’s emotions escalate and threaten to overwhelm them, the safety of the child and others becomes a greater concern.
Child Behavior
Your child’s behavior looks like the escalation stage but with even less control. Your child may feel threatened, desperate, cornered, or defensive and may physically lash out at others, damage property, or attempt to harm themselves.
Resource Parent Goals
Your goal is to keep your child, yourself and others safe. This is an appropriate time to utilize your crisis response steps if de-escalation has not worked.
It is advised to separate your child from others and remove potentially dangerous objects for safety reasons.
Interventions
- Managing the Environment
- Managing Physical Interaction
- Directive Statements
- Clear and Specific Choices
- Leave the Area
- Request Assistance
Description of Stage
Your child regains control of emotions and returns to their pre-crisis level of functioning.
Child Behavior
Your child re-enters and engages the environment in non-crisis mode. They are returning to the everyday stuff of life – activities, schedules, expectations.
Resource Parent Goals
Your goal is to teach your child. It is important to clarify your child’s perception of what happened and share your perception.
You and your child should develop new and improved ways to cope with stress during future crises. This is the time to introduce consequences as well.
Interventions
- Active Listening
- I-Feel Messages
- Directive Statements
- Clear and Specific Choices
- If-Then Statements
- Time-Away
- Skill Teaching
- Conflict Resolution
Description of Stage
Your child is struggling to regain control over their behavior and again becomes flooded with strong feelings and behavior escalates for a second time.
Child Behavior
Your child may reach eruption quicker in a flare-up and require more time for recovery.
Resource Parent Goals
Your goals are the same as above when your child is transitioning through the stages.
Interventions
The same interventions as above can be used in the appropriate stages.
Description of Stage
No signs of distress
Child Behavior
Calm, relaxed, usual manner
Resource Parent Goals
Normal parental responses
Interventions
None