Psychological Aspects of Crisis Negotiation, Third Edition, explores
the methods and strategies for confronting the nine types of subjects
typically encountered in hostage/suicide sieges by correctional staff
and law enforcement crisis negotiators. Strentz, an experienced
negotiator who designed and directed the FBI's hostage negotiator
program, lays out the critical elements that are required for a
successful encounter with a hostage taker or other malfeasant.
This book highlights psychological dynamics of negotiations as they
apply to the negotiator, the hostage, and the subject. It discusses the
predictors of surrender versus the need for a tactical intervention and
examines the phases of a hostage crisis and the changing focus as the
crisis develops. Referencing historical events such as the Bay of Pigs
invasion and the Challenger and Columbia incidents, this text
demonstrates how faulty group decision making can spell tragedy.
Enhanced with case studies to put the material into context, this third
edition also includes new chapters on the SWAT team/crisis negotiator
interface and on the genesis of the increased incidence of mentally ill
hostage takers. Based on decades of experience in the fi eld and
practical advice from a national expert, this volume arms negotiators
with the knowledge and tools they need to defuse crises and increase the
odds that hostages will survive.
