Which term describes increasing the use of force or resistance?

• A. Duty life
• B. Dressing
• C. Escalation
• D. EMS system

Answer: (C)

Escalation describes the process of increasing the level of force in response to rising resistance, using a planned progression from less to more restrictive controls. In corrections, staff begin with non-force options like presence and verbal commands, and move to higher levels of control only as resistance continues, aiming to stop the threat while minimizing harm and always trying to de-escalate when possible. The other terms don’t fit because they aren’t used to describe changes in force levels: dressing isn’t a standard term for adjusting force, duty life isn’t related to use-of-force concepts, and EMS system refers to medical responders, not the continuum of force.