Hostage Negotiation Training

Hostage negotiation training is mentally, emotionally and physically challenging.

Hostage negotiation theories of dealing with armed and unarmed subjects hasn't changed much since the first New York City Police Department negotiators were trained in 1973. The debate about whether hostage negotiation is an art or a science also continues.

Curriculum

The National Institute of Corrections training guidelines include topics that range from instrumental considerations, expressive demands, conversations and signs of progress through to stress reactions of subjects.

Significance

Successful hostage negotiators -- who generally come from police or military backgrounds -- need specific skills. They have to cope with intense pressure, stay calm and rational, communicate under stress and not lose sight of the 'big picture' and the lives involved.

Expert Insight

According to John McCarthy, who was held hostage by Islamic Jihadists for more than five years, all the hostage negotiators he met shared common traits: "All had a sharp sense of humor, spoke fluently and quietly and there seemed to be no bombast or arrogance about them. They were very good listeners."

References

• Public Agency Training Council
• National Institute of Corrections: Hostage Study Guide
• John McCarthy" The Hostage Negotiator Who Secured my Freedom