Contemporary Theory, Research, and Practice of Crisis and Hostage negotiation (Interpersonal communication)

Law enforcement negotiators almost daily face the type of situation that most of us hope we can avoid - a standoff with a person, or group of persons who threaten to harm or kill themsleves or another person. The practice of crisis/hostage negotiation is one that most police regard as perhaps their most invaluable nonlethal weapon in combating criminal and terrorist acts. And, data from the FBI's hostage negotiation data bases attests to the significan value of negotiation in peacefully resolving barricade standoffs. Yet much is still unknown about the actual communicative and interactional dynamics of these negotiations. Historically, meaningful scientific-based knowledge about how language and behavior function during the course of negotiations has been mostly absent. This volume serves to address these shortcomings by serving as a forum for research and practical insights of a cohour of internationally recognized experts of crisis negotiation.