Exploring De-Escalation Through Simulation-Based Education in U.S. and Australian Social Work

Dimitra Lattas; Zalia Powell; Brittany Adams; Rachel Ross

doi:10.1080/28376811.2025.2534560

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Exploring De-Escalation Through Simulation-Based Education in U.S. and Australian Social Work

Journal article

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Exploring De-Escalation Through Simulation-Based Education in U.S. and Australian Social Work

Dimitra Lattas, Zalia Powell, Brittany Adams and Rachel Ross

Studies in Clinical Social Work, Vol.95(3-4), pp.575-597

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/28376811.2025.2534560

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Abstract

simulation-based learning

de-escalation

social work education

heightened emotions

Social workers and practicum education students are frequently exposed to situations involving heightened emotion, confronting events, or client aggression. There is growing awareness of the need for training in de-escalation and managing heightened emotions, but little attention has been given to how these skills are taught in social work education. Unlike other disciplines, social work has yet to embrace simulation for teaching de-escalation. This mixed-method study in Australia and the U.S. used video-based simulation to explore social work students’ confidence in de-escalation. Results showed low confidence reported in the student cohort. The qualitative analysis identified four themes: Empathy, Emotional Regulation, Clarify and Resolve, and Fixing not Feelings, with students oscillating between demonstrating skills and naming skills without demonstrating proficiency. There is a need for more emphasis on practical training in de-escalation and managing heightened emotions in social work programs. In particular, the use of simulation-based learning to safely expose students to high-risk and confronting situations and assess their performance in these situations.

Details

Title: Exploring De-Escalation Through Simulation-Based Education in U.S. and Australian Social Work
Authors: Dimitra Lattas (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and Society
Zalia Powell - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and Society
Brittany Adams - University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Rachel Ross - University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Publication details: Studies in Clinical Social Work, Vol.95(3-4), pp.575-597
Publisher: Routledge
Date published: 2025
DOI: 10.1080/28376811.2025.2534560
ISSN: 2837-682X
Copyright note: © 2025 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
Organisation Unit: School of Law and Society; Sexual Violence Research and Prevention Unit
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991144639402621
Output Type: Journal article

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