Negotiation and Conflict Management Research
Volume 12, Issue 1, 2019, Pages 41-65

From “Sad People on Bridges” to “Kidnap and Extortion”: Understanding the Nature and Situational Characteristics of Hostage and Crisis Negotiator Deployments (Article)

Grubb A.R.* , Brown S.J. , Hall P. , Bowen E.
  • a School of Psychological, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom, Institute of Health and Society, University of Worcester, Worcester, United Kingdom
  • b Centre for Advances in Behavioural Science, Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom
  • c School of Psychological, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom
  • d Centre for Violence Prevention, Institute of Health and Society, University of Worcester, Worcester, United Kingdom

Abstract

Hostage and crisis negotiation is well established as a police tool, and there is a growing body of literature that provides academic insight into the phenomenon. Academics have developed a corpus of literature to explain the way negotiators operate or how they can resolve incidents successfully. Whilst research in this area has originated from various countries and addressed negotiation from a variety of perspectives, there is limited research that has focused specifically on negotiation from an Anglo-centric perspective. This article presents the findings from a detailed academic examination of negotiator experiences in England, whereby semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 negotiators from nine forces. Analysis using grounded theory revealed 12 deployment categories, situated within a recurring context involving subjects experiencing personal, emotional, or psychological crisis. These categories can be used to enhance our understanding of negotiator deployment in England and are discussed with reference to the implications for negotiator training and practice. © 2018 International Association for Conflict Management and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Author Keywords

police negotiation crisis negotiation hostage and crisis negotiation characteristics of hostage and crisis negotiation categories of hostage and crisis negotiator deployment

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85059666358&doi=10.1111%2fncmr.12126&partnerID=40&md5=faee54f3cb52c9988b0d9de8b609920a
DOI: 10.1111/ncmr.12126
ISSN: 17504708
Cited by: 1
Original Language: English