This presentation focuses on what to expect if you are taken hostage during a hijacking or other hostage situation.
Hostages tend to fall into one of two categories, survivors or victims, with the difference having much to do with mental preparation prior to the event occurring. Survivors return to a meaningful existence with strong self-esteem and live healthy, productive lives with little evidence of long-term depression, few nightmares or serious stress-induced illness. Victims may not have lived through the ordeal, or upon release or rescue may require extensive psychotherapy to deal with real or imagined problems.
Neither the survivors nor the victims ever completely forget the hostage experience. It is the ability to make the ordeal a positive growth experience that separates the two categories. Typical reactions of the two categories are diametrically opposed between survivors and victims. The differences such as faith, ability to suppress hostility, value of self, behavior, maturity and other important traits are discussed that will either help a person get through the ordeal or keep them from functioning effectively.
The feelings you may experience during captivity are largely dependent upon the length of time involved. A chart during the presentation depicts typical characteristics of reactions as a function of time and offers some useful and productive countermeasures to overcome some of these feelings. Some of these reactions may include disbelief, panic, hyper-vigilance and other distinctive feelings that may be experienced are discussed in this section.
No one can tell you exactly how a hostage situation will occur; therefore, no one can tell you exactly how to react. The purpose of the material presented in this presentation is to enlighten and prepare you for an ordeal that hopefully will never happen to you. Hostage situations like during a hijacking, responses and reactions to them, are not an exact science. What may occur in one may not occur in another; what works in favor for the hostages in one may not work in another. However, information provided in this presentation will assist you in developing an understanding of what to expect during a hostage situation.
