Talk-RAT (T-RAT): Defusing Conflict

Talk-RAT is the first line of engagement in the RAT Fighting System. Most violent encounters start with words, and many can end with them. You learn to read the person in front of you, set boundaries that hold, and defuse a situation before it turns physical, without losing control of yourself or the scene. You also learn when talking has stopped working and it’s time to act. Talk-RAT follows the 90% solution: a small set of proven communication skills that work under stress, with strangers, coworkers, customers, and people in crisis.

What You’ll Learn

• Reading the threat: spotting aggression, intoxication, and pre-attack behavior before words turn into violence.
• Proxemics and positioning: managing distance, watching the hands, and keeping an exit while you talk.
• Command presence: clear, assertive, respectful communication that sets limits without escalating.
• The Behavioral Influence Stairway Model (BISM): the negotiation model developed by the course author during his FBI career. It moves step by step from active listening to empathy, rapport, influence, and behavioral change.
• Tactical negotiation: influence and persuasion skills drawn from crisis and hostage negotiation.
• Social versus predatory violence: why refusing to take part stops a social confrontation, and why words won’t stop a predator.
• When talk fails: recognizing the moment to Avert or Engage, and why going hands-on is the last resort.
• After the encounter: involving police and documenting the incident.

Who Should Attend

Anyone who deals with angry, upset, or unpredictable people: civilians, law enforcement and corrections officers, security staff, healthcare and front-line service workers, educators, and managers. This is not a customer-service class. It is about controlling a dangerous situation with words and recognizing when words are no longer enough.

What to Bring

A notebook and pen. Zoom students need a working camera and microphone for role-play scenarios.