The risks involve in hostage crisis leads to the development of negotiation strategies that will be used based on a given hostage situation. There is a need to understand the motives of the hostage taker as a means to develop an effective and appropriate negotiation approach, in addition to the consideration of the factors that can help diffuse the tense emotional state. However, one among the most important consideration is the establishment of the negotiator and hostage-taker relationship, which often takes considerable time to develop.
In this instance, the mental health professional can provide helpful assistance to negotiators in several possible ways. While there is no existing standards as to how to deal with hostage negotiations, an adequate clinical training, experience and skills are important, in addition to the familiarity with the fundamentals of forensic concerns. Based on their established credibility, the typical role of mental health professionals includes serving as a consultant, mainly by giving recommendations to the negotiating team as needed. In their capacity as advisors, they can provide training to law enforcement members to equip them with the needed skills to engage in the hostage crisis. In addition to that, mental professionals can also act as the integrated team member, and the main negotiator and the primary controller (Herndon, n.d). The mental health professionals can help assess the situation, and give suggestions on the possible techniques to be used by the team.
Some of the contributions of mental health professionals in hostage negotiation situations include their ability to gather information, assess the situation and determine the negotiation techniques to be used. The pressure and heightened emotional tension during the negotiation necessitates the involvement of the mental health professional who can readily determine when stress, fatigue and other factors are interfering with the flow of the negotiation.
In their capacity as a member of the hostage-crisis negotiating team, the mental health professionals have to consider the ethical and the professional implications of being involved in this critical situation. While they are considered as valuable contributors in the training and in the provision of professional consultation to law enforcement agencies, there are many people who believed that they should not be directly engaged as the lead negotiator during hostage crisis due to ethical considerations. As indicated in the APA Ethics Code, the psychologists must take rational approaches to avoid bringing harm to their clients, students, “and others with whom they work, and to minimize harm where it is foreseeable and unavoidable” (qtd in Koocher, 2009). The mental health professionals are also called for to avoid being involved in situations where conflict of interest may arise.
The ethical standards of mental health professionals in hostage negotiations are identical with the traditional ethical standard of therapist in common situations. While there is a heightened anxiety and emotional tension associated with hostage negotiation compared to working with patients, the same ethical standards apply. The mental health professional must adhere to practices that takes into consideration the safety of the people involve. The main difference between the two areas is that the mental health professional must closely work with other team members from another field of profession. For example, they have to work with the police, who might have a different kind of training, and this is where the conflict of interest may arise. As a means to resolve the conflict, both professionals must work towards attaining a collaborative relationship where both can support each other to handle complex situations such as hostage taking situations.
References
Herndon, J. (n.d.). Crisis Negotiation. In Applied Criminal Psychology.
Koocher, G. (2009). Ethics and the invisible psychologist. Psychological Services, 6(2), 97-107.
