Human Behavior

Human Behavior
- anything an individual does that involves self-initiated action and/or reaction to a given
situation.
- the sum total of man's reaction to his environment or the way human beings act

Human Beings
Human beings are intelligent social animals with the mental capacity to comprehend, infer and
think in rational ways.

Views in Human Behavior

1. Neurological View – deals with human actions in relation to events taking place inside the body such as
the brain and the nervous system.
2. Behavioral View – emphasizes on external functions of the human being that can be observed and
measured.
3. Cognitive View – it is concerned with the way the brain processes and transforms information into
various ways.
4. Psychoanalytical View – emphasizes unconscious motives that originate from aggressive impulses in
childhood.
5. Humanistic View – focuses on the subject’s experience, freedom of choice and motivation toward self
actualization.

Two Basic Types of Behavior

1. Inherited (Inborn) behavior – refers to any behavioral reactions or reflexes exhibited by people
because of their inherited capabilities or the process of natural selection.
2. Learned (Operant) behavior – involves knowing or adaptation that enhances human beings’
ability to cope with changes in the environment in ways which improve the chances of survival.
Learned behavior may be acquired through environment or training.

Classifications of Human Behavior

⚫ Habitual – refers to motorized behavior usually manifested in language and emotion. ⚫ Instinctive –
are generally unlearned and simply comes out of man’s instinct which can be seen among instinct-
instinct survival behaviors.
⚫ Symbolic – are behaviors that are usually carried out by means of unsaid words and shown through
symbols or body signs.
⚫ Complex – are those behaviors that combine two or more of the classified ones.

Causes of Human Behavior

⚫ Sensation – is the feeling or impression created by a given stimulus or cause that leads to a
particular reaction or behavior.
Human Senses:
a. Visual – sight
b. Olfactory – smell
c. Cutaneous – touch
d. Auditory – hearing
e. Gustatory – taste
⚫ Perception – refers to the person’s knowledge of a given stimulus which largely help to determine
the actual behavioral response in a given situation
⚫ Awareness – refers to the psychological activity based on interpretation of past experiences with a
given stimulus or object.

Factors that affect Human Behavior

⚫ Heredity – it is the passing of traits to offspring (from its parent or ancestors). This is the process
by which an offspring cell or organism acquires or becomes predisposed to the characteristics of
its parent cell or organism.
⚫ Environment – refers to surroundings of an object. It consists of conditions and factors that
surround and influence behavioral pattern.
⚫ Learning – is the process by which an individual’s behavior changes as a result of experience or
practice.

How people interact? People intermingle by three psychological positions or behavioral patterns called
ego states:
1. Parent ego state – which may be characterized as protective, idealistic, evaluative, righteous,
refer to laws, rules and standards.
2. Adult ego state – which centers more upon reason, factual, flexible, views as co-equal, worthy,
and reasonable human being.
3. Child ego state – which may be easily described as dependent, rebellious, selfish, demanding,
impatient and emotional.

Frustration in Human Behavior

Frustration refers to the situation which blocks the individual’s motivated behavior. Sustained frustration
may be characterized by anxiety, irritability, fatigue or depression.
Three Basic Forms of Conflict
1. Approach-Avoidance Conflict - occurs when an individual moves closer to a seemingly desirable
object, only to have the potentially negative consequences of contacting that object push back against the
closing behavior.
2. Approach-Approach Conflict - This is a conflict resulting from the necessity of choosing between two
desirable alternatives. There are usually two desirable things wanted, but only one option can be chosen.
3. Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict - This form of conflict involves two undesirable or unattractive
alternatives where a person has to decide of choosing one of the undesirable things.

Coping Mechanism
It is defined as the way people react to frustration. People differ in the way they react to
frustration. This could be attributed to individual differences and the way people prepared in the
developmental task they faced during the early stages of their life.

Frustration Tolerance
It is the ability to withstand frustration without developing inadequate modes of response such as
being emotionally depressed or irritated, becoming neurotic, or becoming aggressive.

Broad Reactions to Frustration

⚫ Fight – is manifested by fighting the problem in a constructive and direct way by means of breaking
down the obstacles preventing the person reaching his goals.
⚫ Flight – it can be manifested by sulking, retreating, becoming indifferent and giving up.

Different Types of Reaction to Frustration

⚫ Direct approach - can be seen among people who handle their problems in a very objective way.
They identify first the problem, look for the most practical and handy way to solve it, and
proceeded with the constructive manner of utilizing the solution which will produce the best
results.
⚫ Detour - when an individual realizes that in finding for the right solution of the problem, he always
end up with a negative outcome or result. Thus, he tries to make a detour or change direction first
and find out if the solution or remedy is there.
⚫ Substitution - most of time are resulted to in handling frustration when an original plan intended to
solve the problem did not produce the intended result, thus the most practical way to face the
problem, is to look for most possible or alternative means.
⚫ Withdrawal or retreat - is corresponding to running away from the problem or flight which to some
is the safest way.
⚫ Developing feeling of inferiority - comes when a person is unable to hold on to any solution
which gives a positive result. Being discourage to go on working for a way to handle a frustration
could result to diminishing self-confidence, until the time when inferiority complex sets in.
⚫ Aggression - is a negative outcome of a person's inability to handle frustration rightly.
Manifestation in physical behavior can be observed in one's negative attitudes towards life both in
the personal and professional aspect.
⚫ Use of Defense Mechanism – is the most tolerated way of handling frustration. It is a man’s last
result when a person attempts to overcome fear from an anticipated situation or event.

Defense Mechanism – is an unconscious psychological process that serves as safety valve that
provides relief from emotional conflict and anxiety.

Common Defense Mechanisms

⚫ Displacement - strong emotion, such as anger, is displaced onto another person or object as the
recipient of said emotion (anger), rather than being focused on the person or object which
originally was the cause of said emotion.
⚫ Rationalization - is the defense mechanism that enables individuals to justify their behavior to
themselves and others by making excuses or formulating fictitious, socially approved arguments
to convince themselves and others that their behavior is logical and acceptable
⚫ Compensation - is the psychological defense mechanism through which people attempt to
overcome the anxiety associated with feelings of inferiority and inadequacy in one is of personality
or body image, by concentrating on another area where they can excel.
⚫ Projection - manifest feelings and ideas which are unacceptable to the ego or the superego and
are projected onto others so that they seem to have these feelings or ideas, which free the
individual from the guilt and anxiety associated with them.
⚫ Reaction formation - is defined as the development of a trait or traits which are the opposite of
tendencies that we do not want to recognize. The person is motivated to act in a certain way, but
behaves in the opposite way. Consequently, he is able to keep his urges and impulses under
control.
⚫ Denial – when a person uses this, he refuses to recognize and deal with reality because of strong
inner needs.
⚫ Repression – is unconscious process whereby unacceptable urges or painful traumatic
experiences are completely prevented from entering consciousness.
⚫ Suppression - which is sometimes confused with that of repression, is a conscious activity by
which an individual attempts to forget emotionally disturbing thoughts and experiences by pushing
them out of his mind.
⚫ Identification - an individual seeks to overcome his own feelings of inadequacy, loneliness, or
inferiority by taking on the characteristics of someone who is important to him.
An example is a child who identifies with his parents who are seen as models of intelligence,
strength and competence
 ⚫ Substitution - through this defense mechanism, the individual seeks to overcome feelings of
frustration and anxiety by achieving alternate goals and gratifications.
⚫ Fantasy - this is resulted to whenever unfulfilled ambitions and unconscious drives do not
materialize.
⚫ Regression – a person reverts to a pattern of feeling, thinking or behavior which was appropriate
to an earlier stage of development.
⚫ Sublimation – is the process by which instinctual drives which consciously unacceptable are
diverted into personally and socially accepted channels. It is a positive and constructive
mechanism for defending against own unacceptable impulses and needs.

Normal Behavior
This refers to a lack of significant deviation from the average. Another possible definition is that "a
normal" is someone who conforms to the predominant behavior in a society.
Social norms – rules that a group uses for appropriate and inappropriate values, beliefs, attitudes
and behaviors.
Abnormal Behavior
Literally means "away from the normal". It implies deviation from some clearly defined norm. In
the case of physical illness, the norm is the structural and functional integrity of the body.

BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS

I. PSYCHOSOMATIC DISORDER
A disorder in which the physical illness is considered to be highly associated with emotional
factors. The individual may not perceive that his emotional state is contributing to his physical illness.

II. NEUROSIS
Neurosis is a class of functional mental disorders involving distress but neither delusions nor
hallucinations, whereby behavior is not outside socially acceptable norms. The distinguishing feature of
neurosis is a sustained characteristic of showing anxiety, fear, endless troubles that carries significant
aspects of the individual’s life.

III. ANXIETY DISORDERS

Anxiety disorders are blanket terms covering several different forms of abnormal and pathological
fear and anxiety. People experience excessive levels of the kind of negative emotions that we identify as
being nervous, tense, worried, scared, and anxious. These terms all refer to anxiety. ⚫ Forms of Anxiety
A. Phobias
This is an intense, unrealistic fear. In this case, anxiety is focused so intensely on some objects or
situations that the individual is acutely uncomfortable around it and will often go to great pain to avoid it.
⚫ TYPES OF PHOBIAS
❑ Acrophobia - high places
❑ Agoraphobia - open spaces and market places
❑ Malgophobia - pain
❑ Astraphobia - storms, thunder, and lightning
❑ Gynophobia – fear of dogs
❑ Hematophobia - blood
❑ Mysophobia - contamination or germs
❑ Monophobia - being alone
❑ Nyctophobia - darkness
❑ Ochlophobia - crowds
❑ Hydrophobia - water
❑ Pathophobia - disease
❑ Pyrophobia - fire
❑ Zoophobia - animals or some particular animals

B. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders
1. Obsession – This is an anxiety provoking thoughts that will not go away. Thoughts and impulses which
occur in the person’s mind despite attempts to keep them out. They seem uncontrollable, as if they do not
belong to the individual's mind.
2. Compulsion – It is an urge wherein a person is compelled to perform some actions against his free will
and with duress as a result of external factors. This is an irresistible urge to engage in certain pattern of
behavior.

IV. PERSONALITY DISORDERS

Personality disorders, formerly referred to as character disorders, are a class of personality types
and behaviors defined as “an enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly
from the expectations of the culture of the individual who exhibits it”. This category includes those
individuals who begin to develop a maladaptive behavior pattern early in childhood as a result of family,
social, and cultural influences.

Types of Personality Disorders

1. Paranoid Personality – This is characterized by suspiciousness, hypersensitivity, rigidity, envy,
excessive self-importance, and argumentativeness plus a tendency to blame others for one's own
mistakes and failures and to ascribe evil motives to others.
2. Schizoid Personality – Individuals with this personality disorder neither deserve nor enjoy close
relationship. They live a solitary life with little interest in developing friendships. They exhibit emotional
coldness, detachment, or a constricted affect.
- characterized by a lack of interest in social relationships, a tendency towards a solitary lifestyle,
secretiveness, and emotional coldness.
3. Schizotypal Personality – Individuals with this type of personality disorder exhibit odd behaviors
based on a belief in magic or superstition and may report unusual perceptual experiences. 4. Histrionic
Personality – this is characterized by attempt to be the center of attention through the use of theatrical
and self-dramatizing behavior. Sexual adjustment is poor and interpersonal relationships are stormy.
- characterized by excessive emotionality and attention-seeking, including an excessive need for
approval and inappropriate seductiveness, usually beginning in early adulthood.
5. Narcissistic Personality – Individuals with this type of personality have a pervasive sense of self
importance.
- A disorder and its derivatives can be caused by excessive praise and criticism in childhood,
particularly that from parental figures.
6. Antisocial Personality – This is characterized by a lifelong history of inability to conform to social
norms. They are irritable and aggressive" and may have repeated physical fights. These individuals also
have a high prevalence of morbid substance abuse disorders.
7. Borderline Personality – This is characterized by instability, reflected in drastic mood shifts and
behavior problems. Individuals with this type of personality are acutely sensitive to real or imagined
abandonment and have a pattern of repeated unstable but intense interpersonal relationships that
alternate between extreme idealization and devaluation. Such individuals may abuse substances or food,
or be sexually promiscuous.
8. Avoidant Personality – Individuals with this personality are fearful of becoming involved with people
because of excessive fears of criticism or rejection.
9. Dependent Personality – This is characterized by inability to make even daily decisions without
excessive advice and reassurance from others and needs others to assume responsibility for most major
areas of his or her life.
10. Compulsive Personality – This is characterized by excessive concern with rules, order efficiency,
and work coupled with insistence that everyone do things their way and an inability to express warm
feelings.
11. Passive-Aggressive Personality – The individual with personality disorder is usually found to have
overindulged in many things during the early years to the extent that the person comes to anticipate that
his needs will always be met and gratified.

V. SCHIZOPHRENIA
- a psychotic condition marked by withdrawal from reality, indifference concerning everyday
problems, and tendency to live in a world of fantasy.
- formerly called dementia praecox by Emil Kreaplin, a German psychiatrist.
- the term schizophrenia was given by Eugene Bleuler which literally means “splitting of minds”.

Types of Schizophrenia
⚫ Simple Schizophrenia – is characterized by a gradual decline of interest and ambition. The person
withdraws from social contacts as well as irritable and inattentive.
⚫ Paranoid Schizophrenia – is characterized principally by delusions of persecutions and/or
grandeur. Hallucinations, usually auditory, are most of time present.
⚫ Hebephrenic Schizophrenia – manifests severe integration of personality and can be observed
through inappropriate giggling and smiling without apparent reasons which to an untrained
observer may only be childish playfulness.
⚫ Catatonic Schizophrenia – manifests extreme violence and shown with excessive motor activity,
grimacing, talkativeness and unpredictable emotional outburst.

Copycat Crime
Copycat crime is crime inspired by another crime that has been publicized in the news media or
fictionally or artistically represented in which the offender incorporates aspects of the original offense.

SEXUAL DEVIANCY
A sexual act that seeks gratification by means other than heterosexual relationship.
HETEROSEXUALITY – normal sexual relationship between members of the opposite sex which could
lead to reproduction.

TYPES OF SEXUAL DEVIANCY

❑ Homosexuality
- sexual desire towards the same sex
❑ Transvestitism
- obtaining sexual gratification by wearing the clothes of the opposite sex.
❑ Voyeurism
- obtaining sexual pleasure by watching the members of the opposite sex undressing or
engaging in sexual activities.
❑ Exhibitionism - obtaining pleasure by exposing one’s genitals to others.
❑ Fetishism - obtaining sexual gratification primarily and exclusively from specific objects.
❑ Sadism – by inflicting pain to others
❑ Masochism – by inflicting pain upon themselves .
❑ Sodomy – sexual act through the anus of another human being.
❑ Froilism – a form of sexual perversion in which three (3) persons are participating in sexual act.
❑ Pluralism – a group participates in sexual orgies (sexual festival).
❑ Cunnilingus – licking of woman’s genitals
 ❑ Fellatio – sucking the penis
❑ Pedophilia – obtaining pleasure from sexual contact with children.
❑ Incest – sexual relations between persons related by blood.
❑ Bestiality – sexual intercourse with a living animal.
❑ Necrophilia – desire to engage in sexual intercourse with a dead body.

CRISIS MANAGEMENT

Crisis
This refers to unstable and dangerous social condition characterized by an impending abrupt
change involving economic, military, political, police, societal or personal affairs that is approaching
emergency level event.
- came from the Greek word “CRISIS” which means to separate.

EMERGENCY
Came from the Latin word “EMERGENTIA” which means dipping; plunging. It is a sudden
condition or state of affairs calling for immediate action.

Crisis Management
It refers to the action undertaken to unify and coordinate resources and efforts to effectively and
efficiently quell a given criminal/life threatening situation.
Also defined as the expert handling of emergency or crisis to reduce or eliminate danger or damage.

EMERGENCY, CRISIS AND DISASTER DISTINGUISHED

❑ If the situation is still controlled and the response given is for the purpose of containing the
situation from getting out of control, then it is just an EMERGENCY.
❑ If the situation is already beyond normal control what is happening is already a CRISIS. ❑ If the
effects of the crisis can no longer be controlled even by its author, it is now a DISASTER.

Types of Crisis
⚫ Natural crisis – is typically natural disasters considered as acts of God, such as environmental
phenomena as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tornadoes and hurricanes, floods, landslides,
tsunamis, storms, and droughts that threaten life, property, and the environment itself.
⚫ Man-Made Crisis
- civil disturbance, revolt, revolution, border incident, war, kidnapping, hijacking, hostage-taking,
terrorists activities, attacks on government facilities, etc.

Objectives of Crisis Management

⚫ Resolve without further incident.
⚫ Safety of all participants.
⚫ Apprehension of all perpetrators.
⚫ Accomplishment of the task within the framework of current community standard.

PURPOSE OF CRISIS MANAGEMENT:

“SALVARI VITAS” – to save lives

PHASES OF CRISIS MANAGEMENT

❑ Proactive Phase
- includes prediction, prevention and preparation.
❑ Reactive Phase
- performance, initial action, action, and post action.

LEGAL REGIMES IN DEALING WITH CRISIS

❑ Sec. 6, Article XVI, 1987 Constitution
- The State shall establish and maintain one police force, which shall be national in scope and
civilian in character, to be administered and controlled by the NPOLCOM. The authority of local executives
over the police units in their jurisdiction shall be provided by law
❑ Sec. 444 and 445, R.A. 7160
- The mayor shall act as the deputized representative of the NAPOLCOM, which shall exercise
operational control and supervision over the local police forces in the city and municipality.

Hostage Incident
It is any incident in which people are being held by another person or persons against their will,
usually by force or coercion, and demands are being made by the hostage taker.

Characteristics of a Negotiable Incident

⚫ There must be a need to live on the part of a hostage taker.
⚫ There must be a threat of force on the part of the authorities.
⚫ There must be demands by the hostage taker.
⚫ The negotiator must be seen by the hostage taker as a person who can hurt the hostage taker but
 is willing to help him.
⚫ There must be time to negotiate.
⚫ A reliable channel of communication must exists between the hostage taker and the negotiator. ⚫
Both the location and the communications of the incident need to be contained in order to encourage
negotiation.
⚫ The negotiator must be able to deal with the hostage taker making the decisions.

Hostage - Is a person held as a security for the fulfillment of certain terms

Negotiate - It means to arrange or settle by conferring or discussing.
Crisis Negotiation - means the use of communication techniques and strategies to influence a person to
change his behavior in accordance with goals within legal, ethical and moral constraints.

PRIORITIES IN HOSTAGE SITUATION

❑ Preservation of life
❑ Apprehend hostage taker
❑ To successfully negotiate; there must be need to live on the part of the hostage taker and a threat
of force by the authorities.

CATEGORIES OF HOSTAGE-TAKER
❑ PERSONS IN CRISIS
- people who take hostages during a period of prolonged frustration, despair and problems.
❑ PSYCHOTICS
- mentally-ill people who take hostage during a period of psychiatric disturbance.
❑ COMMON CRIMINALS
- people who take hostages for personal reason.
❑ PRISONER
- people who take hostage because of dissatisfaction and discontent regarding their living
condition in prison.
❑ POLITICAL TERRORIST
- people who take hostages because of political and ideological beliefs.

HANDLING OF SPECIFIC HOSTAGE SITUATION

1. PROFESSIONAL CRIMINAL
- easiest to handle
- rational thinker
- after assessing the situation and weighing the odds, usually come to terms with the police.
PROPER HANDLING: show force but refrain from unnecessary violence or useless killing.

2. PSYCHOTIC INDIVIDUAL
- present different and somewhat complex problems
- irrational
PROPER HANDLING: the hostage taker may feel a degree of pleasure if he finds himself important, being
the center of attraction
- prolonging the time

3. TERRORIST
- more difficult to handle
- when caught, they rationalize by claiming to be revolutionaries a situation they resolve to die for
a cause.
PROPER HANDLING: their causes may deteriorate in the passage of time.
- if they kill one of the hostages, the negotiators then must set to save the remaining hostages.

HOSTAGE TAKER’S DEMANDS

❑ Negotiable
- food, cigarettes, drinks, alcohol, transportation, media coverage, freedom
❑ Non-Negotiable
- weapons, ammunitions, drugs, release of prisoners, exchange of hostages

PRINCIPLES IN HOSTAGE NEGOTIATION

❑ the hostage has no value to the hostage taker
❑ the priorities in the hostage situations are the preservation of life and the apprehension of the
hostage taker, recover and protect property.
❑ hostage situation must not go violently
❑ there must be a need to live on the part of the hostage taker

IMMEDIATE ACTIONS OF THE NEGOTIATOR UPON ARRIVAL AT THE SCENE OF INCIDENT

1. Containment
❑ controlling situation and area by people involved.
2. Establish Contact
❑ communicate with the leader
3. Time Lengthening
❑ give more time to the police to organize and coordinate plan of action.
4. Telephone Negotiation Technique
4.1. Be the caller (talk with the leader only)
 4.2. Plan and prepare
4.3. Be ready with graceful exit
4.4. Discipline yourself to listen.
4.5. Do not tell that you are the commander, neither your rank
4.6. Just tell “My name is…I am a police negotiator and willing to help.
4.7. Delay tactic – to wear down hostage taker, physically, psychologically and emotionally. Will
also give more time for police organize and coordinate plan course of action.
4.8. In case hostage taker won’t talk, continue negotiating. Don’t loss hope!

5. Need for face-to-face conversation

❑ Don’t be over anxious
❑ wear body armor
❑ have tactical back-up (snipers)
❑ Face-to-face, maintain proper distance;
◦ Proper distance – 1 to 3 feet.
◦ Intimate distance – about 6 inches
❑ in retreating, face hostage taker slowly backing out of the door.
6. Surrender approach– start with a position approach, act as if hostage taker will surrender. Do not talk
too much. Gradually ask him to surrender. Reassurance is the wisest thing to do. Talk details of surrender
process. And explain why now is better than later.

Crisis Negotiation Bargaining Techniques

❑ The use of time to increase basic needs, making it more likely that the subject will exchange a
hostage for some basic needs.
❑ The used of time to collect intelligence on the subject that will help develop a trade.
❑ The use of time to reduce the subject’s expectation of getting what he wants. ❑
Trades can be made for food, drink, transportation and money.
❑ Trades cannot be made for weapons or the exchange of hostages.
❑ The boss does not negotiate.
❑ Start bidding high to give yourself room to negotiate.
❑ Never draw attention to the hostages, it gives the subject too much bargaining power.
❑ Manipulate anxiety levels by cutting off power, gas, etc.

Stockholm Syndrome
It is the development of unique relations between the hostages and the hostage taker. A strong
attachment of the hostage victim to the hostage takers after a long period of captivity, by the hostage
became sympathizer of the hostage takers.

CRISIS MANAGEMENT TEAM

Team – is a small group of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose,
performance goals and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.

The Negotiating Team (Foreign Set-up)

⚫ Negotiator Supervisor – is responsible for the overall functioning of the negotiating team. In
addition to his supervisory skills, the supervisor must have leadership ability. He should see to it
that the situation is negotiable, appropriate personnel is available, intelligence is gathered in timely
manner, communications are established, negotiation strategy is working-out, an appropriate
record of the negotiation is kept and the commander is well informed.
⚫ Primary Negotiator – is the direct communication link to the hostage taker and is responsible for
developing verbal tactics, monitoring and assessing the hostage taker’s level of emotional arousal
and helping the hostage taker engage in problem solving.
⚫ Secondary Negotiator – is the pipeline between the negotiation team and primary. He helps to
develop verbal tactics, provides moral support for the primary.
⚫ Intelligence Officer – is responsible for gathering intelligence from various sources, interviewing
all relevant persons involved in the incident, collating and disseminating that information,
maintaining and updating status boards and making sure that all response units are receiving
accurate and timely intelligence.
⚫ Mental Health Consultant – is responsible for evaluating the personality of the hostage taker,
recommending negotiation strategies, monitoring team stress, monitoring stress among the
hostage takers and hostages.
⚫ Equipment Officer – is someone who understands technical information regarding radios,
computers, phone systems, mechanical systems, etc. and can make minor repairs.

Command Post
It is the position from which a unit commander and his staff exercise command over the hostage
incident.
Ground Commander is the designated senior officer in command of the incident. Also termed
“incident commander”

Inner and Outer Perimeter

⚫ Inner Perimeter – is the immediate area of containment as designated by the on ground
commander
⚫ Outer Perimeter – is a secondary control area surrounding the inner perimeter, providing a safe
zone for access to the inner perimeter.

The Tactical Team (Foreign Set-up)

 Is an assault team responsible in carrying out assault operation whenever negotiation fails. A unit
of specially selected, appointed, trained and equipped officers that provides assistance in those incidents
that would require special tactics, techniques and equipment.

Tactical Team Components (Foreign Set-up)

Tactical Supervisor – is responsible for the mobilization of the members of the team, deployment of the
containment team, development of the tactical plan and operation of the assault and arrest teams. The
tactical team is divided into three major components:
1. First Component – this component is responsible for maintaining perimeter control both inner
and outer. Also called containment sub-team.
2. Second Component – the second component is apprehension and assault team. Members of
this sub-team make an undetected approach to the location, plan and prepare for the release of hostages,
and make an assault if necessary. Also called apprehension and assault sub-team.
3. Third Component – is the sniper / observer sub-team. The sniper/observer sub-team (third
component) has two responsibilities:
⚫ Provide intelligence on factors present at the location. These factors may include physical layout,
placement of walls, furniture, specific location of hostages and hostage takers, clothing and
mental state of hostages and hostage takers.
⚫ Prepare for a shot on the hostage taker.

Active Listening Techniques

⚫ Open-Ended Questions/Statements –question or statements directed at the hostage taker
designed to get him to open up and give a long, verbal answer.
⚫ Effective Pauses – not saying anything when the hostage taker finishes talking, encouraging him
to fill the empty or blank space with additional communications or information. Periods of silence
that is used to emphasize a point or to encourage the subject to say more.
⚫ Minimal Encouragement – saying yes, ok or other verbal indicators that the negotiator is actually
listening to the hostage taker. Brief, well-timed response that let the subject knows the negotiator
is paying attention. It is a neutral non-threatening response that can be used with any subject.
⚫ Mirroring (Reflecting Feelings) – a response in which the negotiator mirrors back to the hostage
taker the emotions of the hostage taker in communicating, the negotiator repeats the last word or
phrase.
⚫ Paraphrasing – a response in which the negotiator gives the hostage taker the essence of his
message in the negotiator’s words. The negotiator repeats the subject’s meaning in the
negotiators words. It shows that the negotiator is listening and understands the content of the
subject’s message.
⚫ Emotional Labeling (Reflecting Meaning) – a response in which negotiator let the hostage taker
know he understands the facts and the feelings the hostage taker is communicating. The use of
emotionally descriptive words to show that the negotiator understands the feelings the subject is
experiencing.
⚫ I-Messages – a response in which the negotiator expresses his emotions in response to the
hostage taker. These are messages that personalize the negotiator without becoming a personal
attack and allow negotiator to introduce new ideas without raising excessive resistance.
⚫ Summative Reflections – a response in which the negotiator summarizes the main facts and
feelings that the hostage taker has expressed over a relatively long period.

Implementation of Methods to Deal with Hostage situation

Rule 22. Hostage Situation of the revised PNP Operational procedures
Sec.1. Procedures to be followed in a Hostage Situation – the following steps shall be undertaken:
a. A crisis management task group shall be activated immediately
b. Incident scene shall be secured and isolated
c. Unauthorized persons shall not be allowed entry and exit to the incident scene d. Witnesses’
names, addresses, and other information shall be recorded. Witnesses shall be directed to a safe
location.

Sec.2. Ground Commander – there shall be only one Ground Commander in the area. Sec.3.
Negotiators – negotiators shall be designated by the Ground commander. No one shall be allowed
to talk to the hostage-taker without clearance from the negotiating panel or Ground Commander
Sec.4. Assault team – an assault team shall be alerted for deployment in case the negotiation fails.
Members of the assault team shall wear authorized and easily recognizable uniform during the
conduct of the operation Bonnets shall not be used.
Sec.5. Assault plan – the assault shall be planned to ensure minimal threat to life for all parties.
Sec.6. Support Personnel – an ambulance with medical crew and a fire truck shall be detailed at
the incident.
Sec.7. Coordination – proper coordination with all participating elements shall be done to
consolidate efforts in solving crisis.
Sec.8. Safety of Hostage(s) – in negotiating for the release of a hostage, the safety of the hostage
shall always be paramount.
Sec.9. Procedures to be followed during negotiations
The following shall be undertaken in the conduct of negotiations:
a. Stabilize and contain the situation;
b. Select the right time to make contact with the hostage-taker;
c. Take time when negotiating;
d. Allow hostage-taker to speak;
e. Don’t offer the hostage-taker anything. What he will ask for will be part of the
negotiation; f. Avoid directing frequent attention to the victim when talking to the hostage
taker; g. Do not call them Hostages. Be as honest as possible; avoid tricks; be sincere; h.
Never dismiss any request from the hostage-taker as trivial or unimportant;
i. Never say “NO”
j. Soften the demand
k. Never set deadline; try not to accept a deadline;
l. Do not make alternate suggestions not agreed upon in the negotiation;
m. Do not introduce outsiders (non-law enforcement officers) into the negotiation process, unless their
presence is extremely necessary in the solution of the crisis; provided that they shall be properly advised
on the do’s and don’ts of hostage negotiations;
n. Do not allow any exchange of hostages, unless extremely necessary; in particular, do not exchange a
negotiator for a hostage;
o. Avoid negotiating face-to-face; and
p. Law enforcement officers without proper training shall not be allowed to participate in hostage
negotiations.