Maintaining Safety and Promoting Student Dignity: Recommendations for Developing Crisis Response Plans for Students Who Exhibit Escalated Behaviors

This article is intended to provide educators with recommendations for maintaining safety and protecting student dignity when writing and implementing crisis response plans. These recommendations include reducing student agitation by recognizing and responding to early signs of escalated student behaviors, embedding choice-making opportunities, and using verbal de-escalation strategies in school settings. Each recommendation is described in practical detail using case study vignettes about students who engage in escalated behaviors.