How to End a Violent Conflict
Conflicts are a natural part of life, and while healthy conflicts are beneficial, sometimes things get out of hand. A violent conflict has serious repercussions for the participants, including possible jail time. It can also have significant repercussions for third parties who try to stop it. If you try to stop a fight involving others, you could get seriously hurt or even make the conflict worse. If you want to break up a fight, stay calm and proceed with caution.
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Instructions
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Interpose yourself between the two combatants if you can. Separate them by pushing them away from each other if you can, though you should never physically restrain either party. The goal is to separate them so that you can talk to the combatants... alone if possible. Never interpose yourself if one or more of the combatants has a deadly weapon.
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Talk to the more aggressive one, or the one who started the conflict. Try to shift his focus from the other combatant to you. Speak calmly to him and try to get him to be reasonable. Show respect, but be firm and try to get him to calm down.
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Tell a friend or an ally to remove the second combatant from the area while you talk to the first one. Get him completely out of sight if possible -- and don't let the two within sight of each other until after the conflict has been resolved.
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Listen to each combatant's grievances, one combatant at a time. If possible, talk to them somewhere besides the place where the violence took place. Be respectful and acknowledge the emotions involved; many times, that will be enough to resolve the conflict. Otherwise, ask the combatants what can be done to end the conflict. Look for a middle ground where everyone has to give up a little to get what they want, and look for ways the guarantee an end to the violent conflict. Reconcile them if possible, so that they can occupy the same areas again. If you can't ensure that, try to make sure the parties stay separated and do not come into conflict again.
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Follow up with the agreement between the two parties to ensure that the terms are met.
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Tips & Warnings
Stay calm at all times when attempting to end a violent conflict. If you become angry or upset, you're bound to make things worse. Furthermore, a calm demeanor will exude calm to the combatants and help you break them up.
If you can, contact the authorities and let them step in to end a violent conflict. Never do so yourself unless you're certain you can end it without getting hurt and there are absolutely no other options available.
