Sikveland2023

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Sikveland2023
BibType ARTICLE
Key Sikveland2023
Author(s) Rein Ove Sikveland, Elizabeth Stokoe
Title A Cry for “Help”? How Crisis Negotiators Overcome Suicidal People's Resistance to Offers of Assistance
Editor(s)
Tag(s) EMCA, Resistance, Conversation analysis, Crisis negotiation, Offers of assistance, Suicide, Police
Publisher
Year 2023
Language English
City
Month
Journal Journal of Language and Social Psychology
Volume 42
Number 5-6
Pages 565-588
URL Link
DOI 10.1177/0261927X231185734
ISBN
Organization
Institution
School
Type
Edition
Series
Howpublished
Book title
Chapter

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Abstract

This paper explores how police negotiators offer “help” to suicidal persons in crisis. The phrase “a cry for help” is long associated with suicide ideation, and “help” is a key offer made in crisis situations. However, we know little about how “help” is formulated, and received, in crisis encounters as they actually unfold. Fourteen cases (31 h) of UK-based police crisis negotiations with (suicidal) individuals in crisis were transcribed and analyzed using conversation analysis. Our analysis shows that persons in crisis typically reject negotiators’ offers of “help.” However, when negotiators propose that (and how) matters can be “sorted out,” or refocus “help” as actions that the person in crisis can do themselves, progress is made. The paper contributes to the growing literature on the management of resistance in institutional encounters, and to our understanding of how negotiators may minimize or de-escalate resistance in crisis communication.

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