If a person appears to be psychotic and is threatening violence, take the following steps.
- Do not get involved physically.
- Call the campus emergency number 6488 2222 (from a campus phone) or 1800 655 222 (from a public phone on campus).
- Try to create a calm, non-threatening environment – talk slowly, quietly, firmly and simply.
- Keep the environment free of distractions (turn off radio and reduce noise).
- Keep a reasonable distance. Try to get the person to sit down, side by side with you. Avoid eye contact.
- Do not try to reason with someone experiencing acute psychosis, remain empathetic to their distress. Remember that they may be hearing voices that are very real and frightening to them.
Information about UWA campus safety and security.
