Mission Success: When the “never happens” happens to you, Part II

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By Tracy E. Barnhart

Published: 07/30/2007

Editor’s note: Last week, regular columnist Tracy Barnhart discussed some of the vital survival strategies for those taken hostage. This week he continues by explaining the waiting and negotiation and release/rescue stages of this volatile and stressful situation.

Mission: Success – When the “never happens” happens to you, Part II
by Tracy Barnhart

“It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up short time and time again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself a worthy cause; who if he wins knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.”
Theodore Roosevelt

Capture entails overwhelming, mind-numbing fear. Uncertainty and apprehension are therefore prevalent in the daily routine of capture. The stressors associated with capture are a mixture of internal and external.

Internal: Internal stressors are usually self induced and are the most corrosive to morale. They stem from fear and the induced feelings of failure; lack of needed direction or purpose; worry for yourself, friends and family; intense guilt; mistrust of the captors and possibly other hostages; mind crashing boredom; loneliness; and the perceived need for a constant alertness.

External: External pressure happens when inmate captors attempt to dominate and disorientate their victims and make them dependant upon them by removing control and knowledge of what is happening. Enforced idleness and confinement in cramped, unsanitary conditions in an atmosphere of ruthlessness and unaccustomed discipline are likely, and so is a poor diet and probable starvation. You may be subject to sensory deprivation and lack of sleep and rest. You may be moved frequently within the captive setting to confuse would be rescuers.

Remember, your captors are also under a huge strain; hostage taking is not for the fainthearted. They fear an attack from you or your rescuers, and must therefore maintain a constant state of vigilance. This could lead to them feeling tired, irritable, and frustrated. Many hostage-takers may feel unsure of what to do or how to treat you. So, establishing relationships with them may create problems with their leaders.

While developing a relationship and cooperating with your captors may be beneficial during the period of captivity, it is not without risk and may jeopardize your safety, particularly during any attempted release. This relationship has been termed the “Stockholm Syndrome” after a 1973 bank raid in which all of the hostages resisted efforts to be rescued and refused to testify against their captors. A woman hostage subsequently became engaged to one of the captors. This can result in a captor’s positive feelings toward hostages, which could aid in a hostage’s survival.

Optimum conditions for the development of the Stockholm Syndrome include:

Hostages and hostage-takers share the same accommodation, conditions and language.
Hostages believe their captors will act on the threats of violence or execution.
Escape is impossible with constant pressure and applied fear.
Hostages are isolated from the news updates and situation perspectives other than those allowed by the captors.
Small acts of kindness occur randomly in a context of terror.

Waiting and Negotiation Stage:The negotiation stage is used to get as many hostages, especially elderly staff and women released from captivity. It is also for gathering intelligence data on the situation. During negotiations, the emphasis is on placing the captors at ease so they do not panic and act aggressively.

The longer the negotiations take, the more anxious, tired and worn down the captors will be once the rescue force attacks, if they are given the green light to do so. The hostage-takers and hostages are likely to be in a highly agitated emotional state.

Therefore, stay as calm as possible and be very patient during this stage. Remember, the administration has a lot of procedures and notifications to go through, and most administrators will have to dig through policies and procedures to even know what they are supposed to be doing. This will not be a quick process that will end as quickly as it happened. It may be hours before the first contact it attempted with captors.

Do

Cooperate in preparing meals, tending to the injured and generally looking after other hostages.
Reassure those showing signs of strain or excessive emotion. Make allowances for their behavior, and comfort others if possible.
If a rapport can be built with the captors, ask if conditions can be improved – ask for food, water, blankets, etc.
Be prepared for difficulty with sanitation, particularly in a correctional setting. The power and water may be cut off for bargaining chips with the hostage-takers during the negotiation stage.
Keep your mind occupied with pleasant thoughts and stay mentally alert.

Don’t

Do not behave aggressively or make long uninterrupted eye contact with your captors.
Don’t draw unnecessary attention to yourself; you’ll increase the chances of being singled out and victimized.
Do not befriend captors; such an attempt will result in them exploiting you.

Release or Rescue Stage: The only way to effectively escape from the captors is a collective and organized attack by as many hostages as possible. Do so only after studying the opposing force and by waiting for the right opportunity, which is usually when the captors are not as alert as they were in the beginning.

However, an escape attempt should only be made when all other options have been exhausted and when all hostages are willing and understanding of their peril if it fails. If this plan is successful, it might be for naught as the control center may be under orders not to open doors or corridors for anyone.

While attempting your rescue, special tactical teams may attempt an assault to take out the captors. This, however, will only be done when all negotiations have broken down or appear to be useless. Attack will be the last thing the administration will want to do, and might only resort to that when all peaceful methods have been exhausted.

If a rescue is attempted, though, keep your hands above your head and drop to the floor. Don’t be a hero and don’t move until your rescuers tell you to do so. Once released or rescued, seek medical and psychological attention. You may think you’re fine, but you’ll need some time to sort out this emotionally taxing time.

Tracy E. Barnhart is a Marine combat veteran of Desert Storm / Desert Shield. In 1992 he became an Ohio police officer. He was the youngest officer to attain the rank of Staff Lieutenant. He became Chief of Police for the Village of Edison, Ohio, and obtained his Ohio Peace Officers Training Commission as a unit instructor teaching several law enforcement and correctional courses at the state academy.

In 2000, Barnhart joined the Ohio Department of Youth Services at the Marion Juvenile Corrections Facility, a maximum security male correctional facility housing more than 320 offenders. Barnhart works with male felony offenders ages 16 to 21 with violent criminal convictions and aggressive natures.

Other articles by Barnhart:
When the “never happens” happens to you, Part I, 7/18/07

Methods of attack, 7/6/07

Indicators to assault, 6/21/07

The art of manipulation, 4/18/07

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