What minimum distance must the escort and escorted personnel maintain to determine duress?

• A. 5 ft
• B. 10 ft
• C. 15 ft
• D. 20 ft

Answer: (B)

Recognizing signs of duress relies on maintaining the right spacing between escort and escorted so you can observe nonverbal cues while staying able to intervene quickly. Ten feet provides the balance: you have a clear line of sight to notice changes in posture, breathing, facial expressions, fidgeting, or sudden attempts to signal for help, while still being close enough to react if duress is confirmed. If you’re too close, subtle signals can be hard to detect and the person may feel overly controlled. If you’re too far, cues can be missed or misread, delaying a necessary response. Therefore, the minimum distance is ten feet.