Peacekeepers prevent, contain, moderate and terminate hostilities, frequently in protracted social conflicts within states. De-escalation of violence is vital. Conflict resolution theory suggests causes of violent conflict and a contingency model for de-escalation, within which military peacekeepers separate belligerents to stop the violence and work closely with civilians to reduce its causes. Military doctrine suggests that liaison, negotiation, and force deployment help to control violence. Surveys and interviews indicate that contact skills are increasingly important with increasing rank. Violent incidents are controlled by self-defense, deployments which reduce the belligerent's incentive for coercion, and negotiations. The nature of violence (direct fire, artillery fire, hostage-taking, and so on) means that contact takes place away from, and usually after, the incident itself. De-escalation is achieved by force deployments to provide security and assurance to the parties (particularly civilians), while violations are dealt with through contacts at escalating levels in military and political hierarchies. This means that in practice de-escalation must be coordinated at battalion, sector, and force level, integrating deployment and negotiation.

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