The officers’ constructive behaviour in hostage-taking situations

Introduction. The article deals with the problem of negotiations with criminals who took hostages and the issues related to its psychological maintenance in law enforcement agencies. The paper aims to reveal significant elements of law enforcement officers’ constructive behavior important for the results of the negotiations with criminals who took hostages. Materials and Methods. By means of psychodiagnostic methods of studying personal features and specially prepared questionnaire «Features of Behaviour and Interaction in Stressful Situations» the author managed to analyze the data of various groups of learners majoring in “Police Officer” profile and law enforcement officers with regard to the peculiarities of their professional activity, age and length of service. Mathematical statistics was applied to make the data qualitative and quantitative analysis. Results and Discussions. Successful negotiations depend on the level of preparation, life and professional experience, personal characteristics of negotiators. Factor analysis enabled the author to identify seven complex socio-psychological components that affect the constructive or destructive outcome of negotiations with criminals in situations of hostage-taking: destructive individual characteristics, emotional behavioural rigidity, socio-creative activity, manipulative experience, unsophisticated professional experience, rational practicality, variable assessment of the situation. It is revealed that the constructive outcome of negotiations with criminals is influenced by social and creative activity, ability to manipulate, practicality, variable behaviour. Conclusions. Constructive negotiations depend on professional practical training. The author identifies seven socio-psychological factors which influence the outcomes of negotiations in hostage-taking situations. To conduct negotiations it is necessary to prepare a special group of negotiators with different professionally important qualities.