Course content – PF23-Deeskalation
9. Module 9 · Self-protection & Safety
Protecting yourself
When there is physical threat or violence, your own safety and that of others comes first. Self-protection is a legitimate part of dealing with challenging behaviour: nobody has to put themselves in danger or accept violence. Its principles are: keep your distance – it gives you time to react and also calms the situation (Module 7); keep your escape route free – do not let yourself be cornered, and position yourself so that the door is behind you, not behind the person; watch for dangerous objects that could be used as a weapon or thrown, and keep them out of reach; get help in good time – colleagues and, if necessary, the emergency services; and avoid unnecessary risks – caution, not heroism.
In an acute physical attack, get distance, protect yourself, get to safety and call for help – in Germany the emergency number is 112, the police can be reached on 110. Protect others at risk, such as fellow residents, too. Nobody has to endure an attack. Self-protection does not contradict de-escalation, it complements it (Module 5): you de-escalate calmly and keep your safety in view at the same time; in serious danger, safety comes first. Prevention (Modules 3 and 8), the team (Module 12) and aftercare (Module 10) are also part of it.
Legal position: anyone who wards off a present, unlawful attack on themselves or others acts in self-defence or in defence of others (section 32 StGB, German Criminal Code). The defence must be necessary, i.e. the mildest effective means: moving away, keeping distance, getting help, briefly fending off or releasing a grip. If the person is not acting culpably because of their illness (e.g. in dementia or delirium), moving away takes priority over fighting back. Holding, restraining or locking someone in over a longer period or regularly is a freedom-restricting measure. It needs the consent of the person if they are able to consent. Otherwise their legal guardian (Betreuer) or an authorised representative with a written power of attorney that expressly covers such measures must consent, and the custodianship court must approve it (section 1831(4) and (5) BGB, German Civil Code). In an acute emergency, a brief measure can be justified as necessity (section 34 StGB) if the danger cannot be averted otherwise. It must be proportionate and documented; a measure lasting more than about 30 minutes or repeated is no longer brief (DGUV, 2018).
Learning objectives of this module
- You understand self-protection as an important, legitimate part.
- You know the principles (distance, escape route, help, objects).
- You know that in the case of physical threat, safety takes priority.
- You combine de-escalation and self-protection.
No duty to endure violence
A sometimes misunderstood principle: nobody has a duty to endure violence or threats or to put themselves in danger. In the helping professions there is sometimes the idea that you must ‘put up with everything’ – out of a sense of duty, out of empathy for an ill person, or because ‘it comes with the job’. This idea is wrong and harmful. Violence against care workers is not part of the job, and nobody has to risk serious harm for the sake of care. Understanding that aggression is usually an expression of distress or illness (Module 5) does not mean having to endure it: you can understand the behaviour and protect yourself at the same time. In practice: in serious danger, put your own safety first; do not regard violence as normal; take your own strain seriously and get support (Module 10). Violence at work is also an occupational safety issue: the employer must assess the risks, including psychological strain, and take protective measures such as prevention concepts, training, support and aftercare (sections 3 and 5 ArbSchG; DGUV, 2018). This needs an open culture in which violence is not hushed up but reported, followed up and prevented.
Self-protection
| Principle | In practice |
|---|---|
| Distance | Room to react, protection (also de-escalating) |
| Escape route | Keep free, do not let yourself be boxed in |
| Help | Reinforcement/emergency call in good time – not alone |
| In the case of violence | Safety takes priority – protect yourself, do not endure |
Table: Principles of self-protection at a glance. Source: own illustration, AI-assisted.
De-escalation and safety working together
De-escalation and self-protection are sometimes seen as opposites – one close and empathetic, the other distant and protective. In fact they complement each other (cf. Module 5). First, many measures serve both aims: appropriate distance means the person does not feel crowded and you have room to react; a calm, non-threatening presence avoids fuelling the situation; leaving the person space and a way out de-escalates – and not boxing yourself in protects you. Second, the priority depends on the situation. In the early phase – tension and agitation without acute physical threat – de-escalation comes first (Modules 5–7), with distance and escape route in mind. In acute physical threat, safety comes first: you do not de-escalate ‘at any price’. Third, safety is the basis for calm: if you know that distance, an escape route and help are available, you stay calmer and de-escalate better; fear for your own safety blocks calm. Good practice therefore means de-escalating and protecting yourself – the person is protected by de-escalation, you and others by safety.
Safety first
A resident suddenly reaches for an object and becomes physically threatening towards a care worker. She first tries to de-escalate, speaking calmly and keeping her distance. When the threat becomes acute, she rightly puts safety first: she steps back, gets to safety through the free escape route and immediately calls colleagues for help instead of ‘holding out’. Together, the team then handles the situation safely, and afterwards it is followed up (Module 10). The case shows that in acute physical threat self-protection comes first – nobody has to endure violence.
Holding out alone. The same situation, but the care worker thinks she must cope on her own and must not leave the resident alone. She stays in the corner between the bed and the wall, tries to take the object away and grips the resident's wrist. The resident hits out harder; the care worker is injured on the hand, and the resident gets a bruise on the arm. Nobody has been called. Afterwards she says nothing because ‘it comes with the job’, and the incident is not documented.
How to classify it: Fending off an attack can be lawful self-defence, but only with the mildest effective means. Here, stepping back and calling for help would have been possible, and with a person who may not be acting culpably because of illness, moving away takes priority. Standing in the corner without an escape route and without help increased the danger for both. The injury is an occupational accident and has to be documented and reported according to the organisation's procedure; the care worker is entitled to support and aftercare (Module 10).
| Aspect | Case study: safety first | Version B: holding out alone |
|---|---|---|
| Position | escape route kept free | cornered between bed and wall |
| Acute threat | steps back, gets to safety | grabs the object and the wrist |
| Help | colleagues called at once | nobody called |
| Outcome | situation handled safely as a team | injuries on both sides |
| Afterwards | follow-up (Module 10) | kept quiet, not documented |
Table: Comparison of the two versions of the case. Source: own illustration, AI-assisted.
Exercise: Think of a critical situation at work. Did you pay attention to distance, escape route, help and dangerous objects? Do you know that in physical threat your safety comes first and you do not have to endure violence? How do you combine de-escalation and self-protection – and do you get help instead of staying alone?
Show suggested approach
Use four quick questions before and during a tense situation: 1. Distance – am I more than an arm's length away and outside the reach of kicks or blows? 2. Escape route – can I leave the room without passing the person? 3. Objects – is there anything nearby that could be thrown or used as a weapon? 4. Help – who knows where I am, and how do I call for support (alarm, phone, colleagues; in an emergency 112, police 110)?
If one answer is ‘no’, change it first: step back, reposition yourself, move objects out of reach or bring a colleague. If the threat becomes acute, leave and get help – that is not failure but professional practice. Find out which emergency procedure your organisation has and where alarm devices are.
- In acute physical threat, your own safety and that of others comes first – nobody has to endure violence.
- Distance, a free escape route, attention to objects and timely help are the core of self-protection.
- Self-defence must use the mildest effective means; with people who are ill, moving away comes first.
- Prolonged or regular restraint is a freedom-restricting measure: it needs the person's consent or that of their representative plus court approval.
Self-reflection (voluntary)
Voluntary · not assessed – your thoughts are not saved or evaluated. Think about each question first, then open the prompt.
1. In which situations at work have you felt unsafe – and what made the difference?
Show prompt
2. Do you know what to do in your workplace if someone becomes physically threatening?
Show prompt
3. How do you feel about leaving a situation to protect yourself?
Show prompt
References for this module
Arbeitsschutzgesetz (ArbSchG) [Occupational Safety and Health Act], section 3 Grundpflichten des Arbeitgebers [basic duties of the employer], as in force in October 2026. https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/arbschg/__3.html
Arbeitsschutzgesetz (ArbSchG) [Occupational Safety and Health Act], section 5 Beurteilung der Arbeitsbedingungen [assessment of working conditions], as in force in October 2026. https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/arbschg/__5.html
Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (BGB) [German Civil Code], section 1831 Freiheitsentziehende Unterbringung und freiheitsentziehende Maßnahmen [deprivation of liberty through placement and freedom-restricting measures], as in force in October 2026. https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__1831.html
Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung (DGUV). (2018). Prävention von Gewalt und Aggression gegen Beschäftigte im Gesundheitsdienst und in der Wohlfahrtspflege: Eine Handlungshilfe für Arbeitgeber und Arbeitgeberinnen [Preventing violence and aggression against employees in health and social care: A guide for employers] (DGUV Information 207-025). https://publikationen.dguv.de/widgets/pdf/download/article/3429
Strafgesetzbuch (StGB) [German Criminal Code], section 32 Notwehr [self-defence], as in force in October 2026. https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/stgb/__32.html
Strafgesetzbuch (StGB) [German Criminal Code], section 34 Rechtfertigender Notstand [necessity as justification], as in force in October 2026. https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/stgb/__34.html