Surviving Kidnappers

Olav Ofstad

Description

Surviving Kidnappers is a detailed guide from conflict expert Olav Ofstad which takes readers through the process of kidnap survival, guiding them through the critical steps from assault through captivity to freedom. Key selling points: There is limited literature on how to survive kidnap; step-by-step guide through different phases of kidnap; author has experience training for kidnapping survival. What would you do if you were kidnapped? Starting with the assault, this book explains the mindset required to stay calm and make intelligent decisions. Moving on to the often gruelling transportation phase, advice is offered on how to brave it and pick up on crucial information. For the phase of captivity this book offers practical advice as well as mental activities that can reduce the risk of being traumatised. The author identifies closely with you as the reader, explaining in simple terms the practical application of social psychology, influencing the captor to your advantage and relating to angry and violent kidnappers. Protection tools and how to apply 'diplomacy' if violence occurs are presented.

Sujets

• Security service

Informations

• Publié par: Troubador Publishing Ltd
• Date de parution: 28 septembre 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781788030748
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Surviving Kidnappers


Precautions, Influence, Strategic tools




Olav Ofstad
Copyright © 2017 Olav Ofstad

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publishers.

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ISBN 978 1788032 797

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Matador® is an imprint of Troubador Publishing Ltd
This book is dedicated to the kidnap victims of this world, both the survivors and the ones who never made it.
This book provides an indispensable guide to the risks of travelling and living in unsafe areas. It gives a detailed account of the preventive measures that can be adopted, and explains how to survive with body and soul intact should the worst occur.
Gregory M. Reichberg,
Research Professor,
Peace Research Institute Oslo


“Olav Ofstad has assembled the necessary research, education and experience to create a survival mindset for the reader by providing the mental preparation of living through an unthinkable situation. I find this book useful in providing the reader easy to understand elements of kidnapping in order to preempt the shock and confusion of being a victim and ultimately arm the reader with key steps to survive the ordeal.”
Michael Farrow,
CEO Protective Intelligence Concepts, LLC
This is a perfect handbook for a wide range of audiences – from service members to tourists- seeking to safeguard from kidnappers. Whether you are a professional planner or heading for private destinations, you will find utility in this extensive collection of advice and guidance. From preventive measures, how to become a hard target for kidnappers, through the phases of becoming a target, the actual captivity and through the release/escape; the contents draws from research, lessons learned and best practices among those who actually experienced kidnappers.
Easy to read, logically structured and built around a variety of scenarios, Surviving Kidnappers can be used for individual requirements, just as much as a reference guide for professionals. Certainly a utility tool that stays with its promise – to help surviving kidnappers.
Colonel Peter Lundquist
Norwegian Army
Contents
Preface

Acknowledgements

Introduction
The purpose of the book
Target groups
Contents

1 What is kidnapping about?
The act and its purpose
The consequences
Victims’ response to kidnapping
The need for mental preparedness

2 Precautions against kidnapping
On the street
In a Car
At your workplace
In nightclubs and restaurants
At home
Protecting children
Travelling abroad
At sea
Air travel
Your gut feeling
Understanding targeted attacks
Staying alert

3 The Assault phase
The Shock
Taking control of yourself
Can you talk yourself out of the situation?
Faking a medical condition
Fleeing
Ratio attackers/victims
Calling for help
Fighting
When escape is no option
Important observations

4 The Transportation phase
Fleeing
Observations
Communication with the kidnappers

5 The Captivity phase
Your mindset
Ransom negotiations
Interrogation
The first days and long-term strains
Precautions against stress
Stress reduction techniques
Boosting mental resilience
Activities in captivity
The importance of group organisation
Response to stress effects
Supporting fellow victims
Being kidnapped, a rollercoaster
Fleeing

6 Influencing the kidnapper
Building a relationship
Sympathy and the element of friendship
Friendliness and politeness
Agreeing
Similarity
Understanding
Looks and appearances
Respect
Praise and Criticism
Cognitive dissonance
The yes technique
Role and norm expectations
The kidnapper’s role
Your role
Presenting yourself as a human being
Reciprocation
Communication and body language
Orders from above
Gender issues

7 Angry and violent kidnappers
General advice
Psychopaths
Psychotic kidnappers
Angry youth
Drugged and intoxicated kidnappers
Protection tools
Mistreatment of fellow victims
‘Diplomacy’
If you are mistreated

8 Stockholm Syndrome
The Phenomenon
Advantages
Risks
Precautions

9 The Release phase
Voluntary release
Rescue
Taking your life back

The Author
Notes
Preface
Why a book called Surviving Kidnappers?
While most kidnap victims escape alive, many survivors are traumatised and scarred for life. In my research and training of people exposed to the risk of kidnapping, I have found several aspects that justify this book. While there are books that discuss kidnapping risks and what we can do to protect ourselves, the following elements seem largely missing:
• The mindset you need to survive
• The daily and long-term challenges of captivity
• How to avoid or get out of trauma
• How to relate to angry and violent kidnappers
• How to influence the kidnappers to your advantage
All these elements are important parts of the book, but the last one stands out in that it may hold the key to survival, and is probably the most neglected element even among seasoned trainers. I once gave a woman UN officer, who had been on a dangerous mission to Somalia, a crash course on interaction with kidnappers. As I finished she exclaimed: ‘This is exactly what was missing in the security training I got before my mission.’ No one should die or be mistreated because they lack basic knowledge of influence psychology, and my ambition is to contribute to a change.
I hope that this book may become a practical tool both to trainers in kidnapping survival and to people, who for some reason, are exposed to the risk of kidnapping.
Acknowledgements
I thank Michael Farrow, CEO Protective Intelligence Concepts, LLC for sharing his experience and insights. I also thank Stein Erik Mauseth, founder of the Norwegian Police’s hostage negotiation centre, for valuable inputs. The numerous kidnap victims I have interviewed all deserve my heartfelt gratitude, and last, but not least, I thank my wife Prabha for her invaluable inputs and editing support.

Olav Ofstad
Introduction
Kidnapping is probably as old as humanity. History is full of man’s imaginative exploitation of fellow human beings, and it is hard to imagine a time when kidnappings did not occur. It is also hard to imagine a future where they do not happen and when a book like this one no longer serves a purpose.
The purpose of the book
Imagine you were assaulted by kidnappers. How would you handle it? Would you be able to stay cool and make rational decisions, or would you freeze or panic?
And what if you became a hostage? Would you face your ordeals with composure, or would you break down and withdraw into depression? Would you relate intelligently to the kidnappers, reducing the risk of being harmed?
These questions are hard to answer without having experienced such a trial, but we do know that preparedness can make a big difference.

The purpose of this book is to provide effective protection tools against kidnapping and its consequences. This includes safety precautions in different contexts and responses to attacks, but a major part is on how to handle captivity, including what you can do to avoid being traumatised.
The book discusses the different phases of kidnapping, from the assault to the release. How to relate to the different practical challenges of captivity is essential, but perhaps even more important are the psychological aspects. This includes cultivating the right mindset, and relating intelligently to the kidnapper.
Psychological skills may help you reduce the risk of exposure to violence and mistreatment. This implies a better health situation and reduced risk of trauma. It may even result in a less devastating ransom and in rare cases earn you your freedom.
How do you relate to angry, drugged and violent kidnappers? How do you relate to violence? And how can you reduce the risk of becoming traumatised? Can you pull yourself or fellow captives out of a trauma in the making? Very few have the knowledge and the skills needed to face these challenges, and my intention is to offer you hands-on advice.
Psychological aspects are generally sparsely addressed, both in kidnapping literature and survival training, and my hope is that this book may initiate a change in this regard.
Target groups
This book will be useful to a range of people who, for some reason, face the risk of kidnapping. These include:

Military personnel
Soldiers in combat may be taken hostage by local militias or enemy militaries as prisoners of war. Being the captive of a state’s army is principally different, in that nearly all states are signatories to the G