The below strategies are to prepare you in the event a captivity or Kidnapping, Hostage-Taking, and Extortion takes place.
5 Phases of Captivity while dealing with the unknown
- Surveillance - Trust your instincts, be predictably unpredictable
- Capture - Outwardly submissive and compliant, while gaining as much information as possible. Let the captors believe they are in control. You are in charge of yourself.
- Movement - Watch, Listen, gain information as much as possible. Look for opportunities to escape.
- Internment - Boredom, nothing to do, isolation. Humanizing ourselves in this stage is crucial. Opportunities to share the gospel and live out our personal faith under duress. Wisely test boundaries.
- Resolution - Be cooperative and compliant. A rollercoaster of emotions. You need to maintain a will to survive, encourage negotiations through your behavior. Lay low, don't run to your rescuers during an armed invasion, even if you are initially lumped with the captors.
Tips for humanizing ourselves
- Sharing how we are feeling - "I'm sick, not feeling good, etc"
- Ask about their kids & families. Talk about your own. Find connections and common ground.
- Remain humble and respectful
- Avoid Political/Controversial/Sexual/Inappropriate Conversations
Reducing Exploitation
- In captivity, you are the leverage for exploiting another entity, not the victim of exploitation.
- Try to avoid isolation to reduce the chance of sexual assault. If you are captured with someone, try your best to stay together. Try to appear unattractive to make advances counterproductive such as feign pregnancy, illness, urination, etc.
