High risk people

While providing necessary skills, certain professions can also cause an increase in risk. Military, police and other government personel can mean a dramatic increase in risk for the group. In hostage situations, these people are on the top of the list to be used as negotiation material or a means of coercion (threatening with executions, for instance). If the hostage takers know or believe this kind of people are present in the hostage group, they'll go through great lengths to find and seperate them from the rest.

Airplane crashes or strandings can plunge the group in an area of civil war or rebellion. Certain nationalities are simply not much liked in many parts of the world. Consider the hatred local people often harbour against Americans (nowadays especially in the Islamic world, Iraq and Afghanistan) and Isreali people (in the Middle East). Military personel, security forces and politicians, in particular, are at risk. Even just being near these people or if the hostage takers consider you associated with these people, could mean an increased risk of "punishment". Your, and the group's, chaqnces of survival chances could become zero.

Keep in mind that one's religion can be a source of hatred and aggression, too. Well-known examples are the relationships between Jews and Palestines, fundamentalist Muslims and Christians, and the East-Timorese and the Indonesian government. The conflicts are at heart not religion-based but religion is being used to defend the atrocities committed, of which also outsiders regularly become victims.

Women are, because of their gender, at risk; assault and rape being among those risks. If a man (husband, male friend, son, brother) protests the crime, it often results in a beating or worse. Still, never let that be a reason not to protest! The more noise is made and by as many people as possible, the bigger the chance the perpetrator will abandon his attempts. Especially in a hostage where people are held for political reasons, a leader could find it worthwhile to call his underling to order.

Never give up on anyone without putting up resistance just because punishment, pain or harm could come to you. A group that shows itself weak or cowardly will never gain the respect of their hostage takers. Such a group has lost any human aspect in the eyes of the hostage takers, making it easy for them to let loose their violence through arbitrariness, rape, torture and other crimes against humanity. Keep talking and protesting when that is appropriate. It'll keep you and the group seem human and worthy of life. That way, at least you'll have a chance of survival.


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