NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION & CRISIS DE-ESCALATION:
PROXEMICS & SUPPORTIVE STANCE
AUTHOR(S):
Foundation for Jewish Camp & Westchester Jewish Community Services
(Some information included from Crisis Prevention Institute.)
SUMMARY:
While you cannot control other’s behavior, you can control yourself in relation to others in ways
that can impact your relationship and interaction. Understanding and learning to use the
“supportive stance” promotes safety for staff and campers. This technique involves maintaining
a distance of at least one leg length and positions the respondent’s body at an angle to the
other person at an “L-shape” angle. This position communicates respect by honoring personal
space, is non-threatening and non-challenging, and contributes to staff’s personal safety.
TOPIC(S):
Communication Skills, Leadership Development, Non-verbal Communication, Mental Health,
Crisis De-escalation
LEARNING
OBJECTIVE:
While you cannot control other’s behavior, you can control yourself in relation to others in ways
that can impact your relationship and interaction. Participants will be able to increase safety for
themselves and others by understanding and using the “supportive stance.”
AUDIENCE:
8-30 Staff members
TIMING:
20-30 minutes (or 3 activities which could each be 10 minutes separately)
APPENDICES:
CPI Graphics (page 3)
MATERIALS:
1 chair
OPENING GAME: STAND / SIT / SLEEP IMPROV EXERCISE
If there is time, start by warming up with the improve game “stand, sit, sleep.” The object of the game is for three
players at a time to improvise a scene in which no two players are ever in the same position.
Start with a chair in the center of the ‘stage’ area and bring up three volunteers. As the facilitator, takes a suggestion
from the rest of the participants for a setting or topic for the scene they are about to see. (Make it camp-related!)
Throughout the scene, one player stands on stage, one sits on the chair, and one lies down. (This can be modified to
have someone kneeling, squatting, etc.)
The players begin a scene, based on the group’s suggestion, justifying their positions. One example: A counselor
stands making a s’more, camper sits playing guitar, and another camper lies down stargazing by the fire circle.
After several seconds, one player must change positions and communicate a reason for doing so that fits with the
scene. For example, the person sitting may kneel down to get something off a shelf, the person standing may sit down
to eat, or the person lying down may jump to their feet in anger.
As soon as one player changes position, another must assume that players position. If the sleeping one stands, for
instance, the stander should lay down. Ideally, their movements should overlap so they are never in the same position.
Again, the change should be justified in the context of the scene.
After the first few moves, the players shou ld accelerate the scene by decreasing the amount of time between changes.
The facilitator should call out any time two or more players are in the same position.
The scene ends when it reaches a climax. By the end of the scene, no player should be remaining in place for more
than a second!
