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Hostage Survival

The Hostage Survival Training Centre (HSTC)

The Hostage Survival Training Programme is a critical, awareness-focused course designed to equip participants with essential knowledge and practical strategies to detect, prevent, and survive high-risk situations such as kidnapping, carjacking, and hostage scenarios. This comprehensive training introduces the foundational theories of hostage survival and surveillance detection, and progresses through real-world tactics used by perpetrators, effective avoidance and survival techniques, and guidance for minimizing exploitation if taken hostage. Participants also learn to navigate the psychological and physical demands of internment, understand the complexities of captivity resolution, and enhance personal security awareness—particularly regarding the prevention of sexual offences. Through expert-led sessions and immersive role-plays, this programme prepares individuals to remain resilient, informed, and safe in the face of extreme threat.

Kidnapping and Carjacking Methods

How to recognize a potential carjacking situation and avoid being a victim.

  • Methods employed by carjackers to victimize motorists
  • Prevention and survival techniques in a carjacking situation
Theory: Surveillance Detection and Hostage Survival
  • Definition of a Hostage
  • Theories of Hostage Survival
  • Surveillance Detection
  • Surviving Abduction/Kidnapping
Surviving a Kidnapping/Abduction
  • Types of Kidnappings/Abductions
  • The Captive’s Role
  • Recommended Guidance on Surviving the Situation
Minimizing Exploitation
  • Sensitive topics to avoid with hostage-takers
  • Techniques used by hostage-takers
  • Use of videos and pictures to exploit hostages
  • Media strategies and exploitation avoidance
  • Role-play in minimization of hostage exploitation
Surviving Internment
  • Adapting to the environment
  • Stress vs Performance of a hostage
  • Awareness of Stockholm Syndrome
  • De-escalation techniques
  • Role-play in internment survival
Captivity Resolution
  • Country policy and actions
  • Negotiated release
  • Escape
  • Rescue
Personal Security Awareness (Sexual Offences)
  • Facts about rape and sexual assault
  • Psychological motivations of a rapist
  • Tactics used by rapists
  • Recommended victim actions after an attack
  • Personal safety in home, vehicle, and public spaces
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