KIDNAP & RANSOM TRAINING ARE YOU AT RISK?

The moment at which a person is kidnapped no matter where that kidnapping may occur, is a very psychologically traumatic moment. The intended victim may be suddenly transferred from a relaxed and complacent frame of mind to a state of absolute terror. The moment the victim is seized is the most terrifying and physically hazardous stage of the whole kidnap experience. The kidnappers dominate your life and you will be forced to react to what they do and say. It is likely that the victim will suffer violent, disorienting and dehumanizing experiences. By learning now about what is likely to happen then, the victim will be better able to anticipate and cope with each new development as it unfolds. The abduction is a highly charged time for the kidnappers. They are excited, nervous, aroused to hair-trigger tension. Victims shocked, alarmed, suddenly thrown off balance, and perhaps instinctively prompted to lash back. This is a tremendous transition to which people may react instinctively in a variety of ways. Some freeze, while others automatically put up resistance. It is important to gain control over emotions as rapidly as possible so that reactions are calculated and rational and designed to increase the chances of survival. Kidnap training should not be viewed as an inflexible prescription of "do's and dont's" because it has too many variables for that. Globe Risk Holdings kidnap workshops are meant to equip individuals with options that can be considered in the event of a kidnap situation. Additionally, it helps prepare for the feelings and spontaneous reactions, which the trauma of such a life-threatening event induces. The kidnap victim must work toward regaining a rational frame of mind and avoid any impulsive behavior. Putting up no resistance when resistance would obviously be counterproductive, will help avoid injury and destruction of personal property, such as eyeglasses or other items that are needed for comfort and long term survival. While kidnappers may want to keep their captive alive and will often provide medical attention when needed, such attention may not be readily available. Most people experience a range of psychological reactions immediately after being kidnapped, but the most common responses are fear, denial, and withdrawal. Some experience such overwhelming fears that they begin to question their ability to handle the situation. One way that the mind deals with this fear is to deny that this experience is actually happening to them. In essence, the mind is unable to accept the information that the senses are providing to it. Others have withdrawn into themselves, effectively shutting off any external input. Behavioural experts call it the "deny and repress" syndrome. Organized criminal or politically active groups in any environment, primarily in countries able to support a modern infrastructure including communications, usually carries out kidnapping. The kidnapping of foreign business travellers and expatriate workers has now become a thriving industry in many countries. It is the tendency of some people to ignore or reject information which is particularly upsetting or frightening, such as the idea that they might be kidnapped. To assume that you will be kidnapped sometime in the future is unduly pessimistic, but smugly assuming you won't be seized is a disservice to yourself. To "deny and repress" on the assumption you are safe, will deprive you of information that someday could help you survive. The statistical chances of your becoming a victim may be slim, but however strong your temptation right now to deny and repress the possibility, the truth remains: the risk is there, and getting greater. Kidnapping by terrorists or criminals has reached alarming proportions in some areas of the world. Increasingly, businessmen with North American companies are the targets of choice. Your assessment of whether you are a likely kidnap victim candidate may be entirely different from that of would-be kidnappers. The Company Globe Risk Holdings is an independent consulting company, specializing in the development and delivery of Operational Kidnap and Ransom Support Programs for both domestic and international clients. The team of world-class professionals affiliated with Globe Risk Holdings posses a wide range of first hand operational experience from diverse disciplines such as the Special Air Service, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Hong Kong Police Force, Canadian Forces and Crisis Communications executives with experience from several billion-dollar North American corporations. This top quality operational experience, when applied in conjunction with its technical expertise, allows Globe Risk Holdings to implement effective, operationally focused solutions to resolve the complex, real world problems faced by a kidnap situation. Globe Risk Holdings has supported a varied and wide-ranging client base in the areas of Kidnap and Ransom Support and Threat, Risk, Vulnerability Assessments. Kidnap and Ransom Workshops To be successful, kidnap-training workshops must be user-friendly enough to engender the full awareness and participation of those the workshops seek to protect. The kidnapping or the forced abduction and detention of a hostage for mainly financial reasons is usually the responsibility of either the kidnapped victims company or the family of the kidnapped victim, depending on the circumstances. Workshops can be given separately or as a total package. Each seminar usually takes about five (5) hours to complete. Workshops can also be tailored to meet the organization's specific needs. Organizations need to identify individuals within their respective departments who would benefit from these workshops. It is Globe Risk Holdings's recommendation that all employees that are required to travel overseas attend, at minimum, the Kidnap and Ransom Process workshop. It is a fact that many executives who are required to travel extensively know very little about the subject of kidnapping and, what is more important, what actually happens before, during and after a kidnapping. There are seven identifiable phases in the kidnap process - from initial target selection to hostage release: Target selection Reconnaissance Abduction Concealed detention Negotiations Ransom collection Hostage release Planning in advance of a kidnap situation is essential. During a kidnap situation, confusion can be expected, communication links may be interrupted and conditions may be generally chaotic. The aim of kidnap and ransom policies and procedures is to develop appropriate plans that will allow those responsible for managing kidnap situations to focus on the solution of the major problems, rather than attempting to bring some order out of chaos due to a lack of prior planning. If all predictable and routine situations are considered in the plan, those responsible for actions during a kidnap incident will be able to deal with the unpredictable or unusual situations that will surely develop. Most potential kidnap situations can be prevented or at least controlled through good planning, making the effects on an organization relatively insignificant. On the other hand, a plan does not guarantee that a kidnapping will not happen, especially when operating in high-risk areas. However, actions taken to cope with a kidnapping situation as it begins to develop may prevent the kidnapping developing into a tragedy. A plan should provide the basis for orderly actions and decisions to minimize the risk to the kidnap victim(s). Its objective is to enable an organization to identify the procedures and responses necessary to activate an internal organizational pre-response, response and post-response to a kidnap incident. This will reduce the threat to life and promote the safe recovery of the kidnapped victim(s). It may prevent (when possible) the recurrence of a kidnapping incident. The handling of a kidnap and ransom situation requires prior planning and training. Working from the premise that, in the most ideal circumstances during kidnap incidents, immediate pressures notwithstanding, it would be beneficial if all those involved in the management of a kidnap and ransom situation, were knowledgeable of their responsibilities.