Responding to Threats: A Case Study of Power and Influence in a Hostage Negotiation Event

Abstract

One of the defining characteristics of hostage negotiations is the struggle for control that occurs during the negotiation process. In hostage negotiation events both parties attempt to exert power in order to influence the actions of the other party. This case study reveals that the negotiator and the hostage taker adopt very different strategies in order to accomplish these goals. For the hostage taker, attempts to exert power within the interaction often take the form of threats of harming the hostage. Alternatively, the negotiator exerts power by utilizing various discursive negotiation strategies in order to develop rapport and conversational flexibility. This case study identifies several strategies employed by the negotiator in order to diffuse the hostage taker's threats and demands, while simultaneously exerting power in the interaction.