Effective Police Negotiation: Synthesising the Strategies and Techniques That Promote Success Within Hostage or Crisis Situations

Grubb, Amy Rose ORCID: 0000-0003-2918-6534 (2023) Effective Police Negotiation: Synthesising the Strategies and Techniques That Promote Success Within Hostage or Crisis Situations. In: Police Conflict Management. Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 285-314. ISBN 9783031410963

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Abstract

The following book chapter aims to synopsise the strategies, techniques and approaches that are utilised by police hostage and crisis negotiators (hereafter “negotiators”) when resolving critical incidents (i.e., crisis or conflict incidents). The question of “what works when negotiating with hostage takers or individuals in crisis” is addressed by considering the extant empirical, anecdotal, and observational research within this arena. Whilst there is some empirical research that attempts to address this question, a strong body of academic research utilising the intended population in an ecologically valid sense is lacking. To date, development of the hostage and crisis negotiation (hereafter “negotiation”) discipline has often relied upon anecdotal or observational research as opposed to research that utilises data taken from actual negotiation deployments. We are yet to achieve the stage whereby an empirically derived model of effective negotiation has been validated or predictive modelling of effective negotiation strategies can be used to inform practice (i.e., evidence-based negotiation); this is one of the most pertinent challenges surrounding the development of the negotiation discipline moving forward. Despite this research gap, there is a body of literature that focuses on effective negotiation, ranging from models that can be used to guide practice and strategies and techniques that can be selected from the negotiator “toolbox” as necessary (see Grubb, 2021). When consolidating the literature in a broad sense, it is clear that there are a number of key theoretical driving forces/relevant constructs/principles within negotiation practice (i.e., de-escalation, active listening, relationship building and rapport, empathy, social influence, and persuasion) that play a key role in successful resolution and these constructs are synthesised below. The chapter also addresses the question of “why do these approaches work” with the aim of developing a theoretical understanding of negotiation techniques in practice and elucidating the origins of such techniques (which have often been “borrowed” from other disciplines). The principles outlined above have often been identified within the academic study of, or practical application within other disciplines (i.e., behavioural sciences, social psychology, psychotherapy/counselling, mental health nursing, health behaviour change, marketing and advertising, etc.), and then applied to the context of negotiation. These theoretical underpinnings of negotiation are synthesised within the chapter with an attempt to highlight the links between theory and practice and to identify the reasons why certain approaches/techniques work within critical incident management.

Item Type:	Book Section
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Hostage and crisis negotiation; Hostage negotiation; Crisis negotiation; Police negotiation; Suicide intervention; Successful negotiation techniques
Related URLs:	Publisher
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology. > HV7231 Criminal justice administration H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology. > HV7231 Criminal justice administration > HV7551 Police. Detectives. Constabulary.
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > School of Education and Science
Research Priority Areas:	Health, Life Sciences, Sport and Wellbeing
Depositing User:	Amy Grubb
Date Deposited:	07 Dec 2023 12:06
Last Modified:	11 Jun 2024 12:01
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/13534

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