Why those exposed to the risk of hijacking should be trained
Trauma demands immediate response.
To handle hijacking well demands preparedness, and preparedness can only be achieved through training. This is particularly important for those who are responsible for crew and passengers.
Hijacking is a global problem. While plane hijacking is no longer common, hijacking at sea remains a threat. Subject to the world's response, socio-economic conditions and political developments, the frequency and mode of hijacking operations keep changing globally. While the terror off the coasts of Somalia has declined dramatically in recent years due to deployment of naval ships and armed guards onboard commercial vessels, the threat in Nigerian waters remain, and a number of ship routes globally represent varying degrees of risk.
The purpose of hijacking varies. If looking at piracy, Somali pirates would normally keep the ship and the crew to extort ransom, but might also steal and keep smaller vessels like fishing dhows to use them in their operations. In Nigeria, it is more common to hold the ship and its crew as long as it takes to unload the cargo, while in some cases crew members are abducted and taken ashore for extortion. We have so far not seen politically or religiously motivated hijacking of ships, something that might worsen the equation. If crew or passengers are abducted, we are dealing with both hijacking and kidnapping, and all the challenges presented under Kidnapping pertain.
In the ASSAULT PHASE an important challenge is to avert violence, and the captain and his officers should know essential techniques to handle this.
During the following TRANSPORTATION PHASE it is a leadership task to ensure that everyone behaves calmly and adequately, and subject to the situation ensure observations that could be useful later.
Once the CAPTIVITY PHASE is established and has to be endured, there are crucial leadership responsibilities. Stress and trauma are serious threats, and these must be addressed both proactively and responsively. Adequate practical routines among the crew should be established to the extent possible, and stress-reducing mental practices should be applied. Signs of trauma demand immediate response, and the captain and the officers must know how to do it.
An important leadership challenge is to ensure unity and solidarity among the crew members, who may have very different background and not know each other well. Hijackers will often try to split the crew, and some sad hijacking experiences include back-stabbing and conflicts that have cost the victims dearly. See one example on the Kidnapping page.
To ensure the best possible treatment by the hijackers and reduce the risk of violence, the senior officers should have the command of essential psychological tools. See Kidnapping. These may also be explained to the crew members, but only if the unity is strong enough to ensure that there will be no 'leakages’ to the kidnappers.
In the RELEASE PHASE it is again a leadership task to ensure that everyone knows the norms of conduct in advance, and behaves as calmly and and focused as this normally tense situation requires. See also Kidnapping.
Unfortunately, few senior officers have the knowledge it takes to handle a hijacking or kidnapping situation adequately. Be it averting violence, addressing stress or trauma, or applying psychological tools vis a vis the kidnappers, such knowledge does not come with a maritime education, and unfortunately very few ever get the training needed. Kidnapping Survival aims to make a difference in this respect. See Training and The Science.
Hijacking is a global problem. While plane hijacking is no longer common, hijacking at sea remains a threat. Subject to the world's response, socio-economic conditions and political developments, the frequency and mode of hijacking operations keep changing globally. While the terror off the coasts of Somalia has declined dramatically in recent years due to deployment of naval ships and armed guards onboard commercial vessels, the threat in Nigerian waters remain, and a number of ship routes globally represent varying degrees of risk.
The purpose of hijacking varies. If looking at piracy, Somali pirates would normally keep the ship and the crew to extort ransom, but might also steal and keep smaller vessels like fishing dhows to use them in their operations. In Nigeria, it is more common to hold the ship and its crew as long as it takes to unload the cargo, while in some cases crew members are abducted and taken ashore for extortion. We have so far not seen politically or religiously motivated hijacking of ships, something that might worsen the equation. If crew or passengers are abducted, we are dealing with both hijacking and kidnapping, and all the challenges presented under Kidnapping pertain.
In the ASSAULT PHASE an important challenge is to avert violence, and the captain and his officers should know essential techniques to handle this.
During the following TRANSPORTATION PHASE it is a leadership task to ensure that everyone behaves calmly and adequately, and subject to the situation ensure observations that could be useful later.
Once the CAPTIVITY PHASE is established and has to be endured, there are crucial leadership responsibilities. Stress and trauma are serious threats, and these must be addressed both proactively and responsively. Adequate practical routines among the crew should be established to the extent possible, and stress-reducing mental practices should be applied. Signs of trauma demand immediate response, and the captain and the officers must know how to do it.
An important leadership challenge is to ensure unity and solidarity among the crew members, who may have very different background and not know each other well. Hijackers will often try to split the crew, and some sad hijacking experiences include back-stabbing and conflicts that have cost the victims dearly. See one example on the Kidnapping page.
To ensure the best possible treatment by the hijackers and reduce the risk of violence, the senior officers should have the command of essential psychological tools. See Kidnapping. These may also be explained to the crew members, but only if the unity is strong enough to ensure that there will be no 'leakages’ to the kidnappers.
In the RELEASE PHASE it is again a leadership task to ensure that everyone knows the norms of conduct in advance, and behaves as calmly and and focused as this normally tense situation requires. See also Kidnapping.
Unfortunately, few senior officers have the knowledge it takes to handle a hijacking or kidnapping situation adequately. Be it averting violence, addressing stress or trauma, or applying psychological tools vis a vis the kidnappers, such knowledge does not come with a maritime education, and unfortunately very few ever get the training needed. Kidnapping Survival aims to make a difference in this respect. See Training and The Science.
