Human reactions, learning and coping with stress and risk in hostage survival training scenarios

Soldiers participating in international military operation faces several different aspects of risk. Being captured by the enemy is one aspect of risk. Another aspect of risk is to be held hostage by a non-state actor.... [ view full abstract ]

Soldiers participating in international military operation faces several different aspects of risk. Being captured by the enemy is one aspect of risk. Another aspect of risk is to be held hostage by a non-state actor. Experiences made by the Norwegian Armed Forces during operations abroad, especially from operations in Lebanon in the 1980s and until now, has shown that Norwegian soldiers have ended up in situations where they have been taken as hostages and not as prisoners of war. The Norwegian Armed Forces has a consequence of these experiences developed a new discipline referred to as "Conduct After Capture" (CAC). This discipline consists of training in resistance to interrogation and training in survival as a hostage. This paper discusses three important factors associated with risk in these types of demanding and risky situations. The first factor discusses the importance of understanding human reactions in demanding and risky situations. The second factor discusses learning in demanding and risky situations. The third factor discusses aspects that are important for coping in demanding and risky situations. A conclusion is that the knowledge about human reactions in demanding and risky situations can help to reduce the perceived stress that the hostages experience during a hostage survival training scenario. This knowledge will also help to counteract any self-induced stress and may alter the perception of risk during a hostage survival training scenario to a more favorable one. A second conclusion is that the learning process will consist of two perspectives during hostage survival training scenarios. One perspective is seen from the side of the hostages in order for them to learn. The other perspective is seen from the instructors (the hostage takers) that will pave the way for learning. A final conclusion is that in order to give a sense of coping to the hostages the scenarios must give an impression of being as close to reality as possible. The personnel being trained (the hostages) must also be able to ascribe positive meaning to the stressful experiences. The scenario development during a scenario must be able to account for individual attention, since the hostages perceive the training and the associated risk differently. This involves supporting the buildup of a subjective positive experience of coping in each hostage during a scenario.