Given the social interdependence of the Bushman, and their intense socialization to respect social norms, this approach is usually sufficient. More complex or serious cases may be resolved in the xotla. In recent times the Bushmen have also used the neighboring Tswana people as a court of last resort. The above techniques attempt to avert the use of power-based strategies for resolving disputes. The Bushmen also have relatively low cost power-based alternatives for dealing with conflict.
Relative power is tested by figuring out who needs whom the most.
Bushman society is fairly egalitarian, with power being evenly and widely dispersed. A common unilateral power play is to simply walk away from a dispute which resists resolution. Travel among groups and extended visits to distant relatives are common. It is difficult to wage war on someone who can simply walk away. Trilateral power plays draw on the power of the community to force a settlement.