Page 15 - Door Supervision Training Booklet

The final stage when all other methods of persuasion have failed is to take action. In the case of the person refusing to leave the premises this will usually mean summoning the assistance of other supervisors and physically ejecting the person from the premises, using only the minimum amount of force required to affect your purpose.
If door supervisors follow this guide before using any amount of force during the course of their duties, then they should be able to answer any questions asked of them by way of justification for those actions. The person has been given four opportunities to comply with the request, so no-one can allege that he was not given the chance to do what he was asked before the resulting action was taken.
Predicting Aggression
As an encounter escalates, and the aggressor becomes more emotional or angry about his position, door supervisors need to watch that person carefully so that they know when the situation is likely to progress to the use of violence by that person. Door supervisors normally get a gut feeling when a confrontation is about to turn nasty, but they should also take note of the person's body language in an attempt to predict any aggressive action he might take. Signs which might indicate an increase in the aggressive attitude of someone include using extended eye contact with the door supervisor, a more threatening facial expression, raised voice, change in body stance, head tilted slightly back, enlarged movements of hands and arms towards the door supervisor, moving closer towards him, or obvious fidgeting as he prepares to fight.
If door supervisors can learn to recognise these signals as preparation for violence, then they can prepare themselves both physically and mentally for any imminent attack. It also gives them time to summon assistance from either other door supervisors or from the police, and to consider in advance their options regarding the use of force.
Predicting Attack
Once this stage has been reached in the encounter the door supervisor must be on his guard for a physical attack. Again, he must closely observe the person's body language, which will give out signs to indicate when he is about to resort to direct violence. If the door supervisor misses or ignores these signs he will lose the advantage he has by being properly prepared.
The parts of the body that need watching if the supervisor thinks that an attack may be imminent is: -
Head - although the head is usually held slightly back as the person shows aggression, just before a physical attack it is dropped forward in an automatic motion to protect the throat.
Eyes - the size of someone's pupils can give important clues as to how they are feeling. During the early stages of aggression a person's pupils dilate. Just before an attack, however, they contract in reaction to the feelings of anger or hatred. So a sudden contraction of the pupils is a good sign for door supervisors to take the appropriate defensive action.
Door supervisors themselves can use direct, unbroken eye contact to dissuade an aggressor from actually attacking. When used in conjunction with other assertive body language it can persuade the other person that you are ready for an attack, and that it might not be such a good idea for them to continue, as you are ready to defend yourself.
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