Frequently Asked Questions

You may have learned of the kidnapping through your loved one’s employer, the US government or the kidnappers may have contacted you directly. If you are not in touch with the US government, contact the FBI who will lead on the government response. You can contact the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell by emailing: HRFCfamilies@ic.fbi.gov

Hostage US offers a range of support services entirely free of charge. We will allocate a member of our team to be your point of contact. They will be with you every step of the way. We also have a number of professional support services, such as lawyers, financial advisors, communications experts and regional experts. We can help you to access counselors should you need their help.

Our support is tailored to what you want and need.

You can also find information on the website to help you to help yourself. If you don’t find what you are looking for, get in touch and we will do our best to help.

You can email us at info@hostageus.org or call our free 24/7 helpline at 888-284-1010.

When you call the helpline, you will be asked to provide some basic information about who you are, who has been taken and where. A member of our team will take the information from you. Once we know a little about you, your needs and where you are in the country, we will allocate the right person to be in touch with you. That person will call you back within 24-36 hours of you calling the helpline and that is when your support starts.

If you have an urgent request, please let us know when you call the helpline and someone will call you straight back.

All support from Hostage US is delivered free of charge.

Hostage US is an independent non-partisan non-profit. We are not part of the US government. We work collaboratively with the government in order to bring the best support to families and returning hostages.

We are entirely confidential. We will not tell the US government we are in touch unless we have your permission. We never pass information from you to the government. You can trust that anything you tell us will stay within the organization.

Hostage US never shares information about the families and former hostages we support. We respect your need for privacy. We never reveal which families we are supporting. We never pass information you have given us to anyone outside the organization.

Hostage US is not involved in operational responses to kidnapping. We are not able to advise on negotiations or other efforts to secure the release of your loved one. We can help you to ask the right questions of whoever is leading negotiations.

Hostage US can help you to access information about the group holding your loved one or the country or region where they are being held. We will work with you to understand what you want to know and then help to identify experts you can talk to who can be trusted to maintain confidentiality around you and the event.

There are many public sources of information that you can access, such as:

The CIA World Factbook is a good source of key social, economic and political information about every country: www.cia.gov

The Economist’s series of country briefings is a good source of recent current affairs coverage for most countries: www.economist.com

Be aware that kidnapping trends can change quickly or be inaccurate: in regions of corrupt law enforcement, kidnapping may be unreported or may be exaggerated. There are organizations and companies that offer political/security analysis of local risks. Hostage US does not offer any endorsements.

The survival rate in kidnapping is high. The greatest risk to a hostage is during or just after the abduction, either because of wounding during the struggle or due to pre-existing medical conditions.

Most hostages return home.

Hostage US does not give advice on the payment of ransoms. Many governments have a long-standing policy not to make substantive concessions to hostage takers. In some countries, the payment of ransoms is illegal.

In most cases, families are advised to keep the kidnapping out of the public eye. This might be a demand of the kidnappers. It is important to seek out advice before commenting in the media. Hostage US can help you to access expert advice.

Hostage US is here for you. You do not need to go through this alone. When you are ready, get in touch. We can help you to connect with other people who have been through similar experiences. We can help you to access medical treatment. We can find counselors to offer professional and structured assistance. We can also ensure you have help in organizing your financial affairs.

You can get in touch by calling our free 24/7 helpline at 888-284-1010 or emailing us at info@hostageus.org

Get in touch, tell us a little bit about who you are and what you have experienced and a member of our team will get in touch.

Hostage US support is provided free of charge.

Hostage US is an independent non-partisan non-profit. We are not part of the US government. We work collaboratively with the government in order to bring the best support to families and returning hostages.

We are entirely confidential. We will not tell the US government we are in touch unless we have your permission. We never pass information from you to the government. You can trust that anything you tell us will be kept totally confidential.

Hostage US never shares information about the former hostages we support. We respect your need for privacy. We never reveal who we are supporting. We never pass information you have given us to anyone outside the organization.

Hostage US is here for as long as it takes. We recognize that for some people, support may be needed many months or years after they are released. Sometimes problems further down the line can trigger a reaction which means you need support. It is never too late to get in touch. We are always here to help.

Hostage US supports all returning hostages, regardless of whether their family accessed our support during the kidnapping. Don’t hesitate – get in touch.

Hostage US is here for all families and former hostages. Sometimes families and hostages wish to be supported separately from one another. Some prefer that their family do not know they are accessing our help. We deal with everyone confidentially. We will not inform your family that we are in contact.

We are a confidential service. We will never tell anyone that we are supporting you – even your family – without your express permission.

Many organizations that have experienced a kidnapping reflect that they had failed to have in place a policy and procedures to support the family during the kidnapping or the hostage after their release. By not paying attention to the human dynamics of a kidnapping, not only do families suffer, but organizations feel the strain too. With simple and effective advice, organizations can easily put in place what they need to perform this role well. Hostage US can help you to do this.

Some organizations differentiate between staff and contractors or freelancers in the support offered to families and returning hostages. Regardless of the nature of the employment contract, families will look to you for support. It is easier and simpler to provide this up front, than try to build the relationship later. Doing the right thing is usually in the best interests of the organization as well as the family.

Hostage US is here to provide support to all US families and returning hostages – but we cannot and should not replace the support you provide to your staff and their dependents. We work directly with families and hostages – they are our sole focus.

We are happy to offer informal help and advice to organizations experiencing a kidnapping to ensure you have knowledge about how best to support the hostage’s family. But we will not replace your role with them.

Hostage US is a source of best practice in family support and hostage reintegration. We make our guides and knowledge as freely available as possible via our website in order to help you to improve the support you offer. We can offer informal guidance during a kidnapping to help you as you support the family. Don’t hesitate to get in touch.

If you have a member of staff or contractor kidnapped, please share information about Hostage US with their family. They are welcome to get in touch with us and we will provide assistance directly to them.

We work confidentially, so the family can be secure in the knowledge that we will not pass information they give us to you as the hostage’s employers. We are happy to work as part of a wider support team alongside you, but only at the request of the family.

Hostage US runs a comprehensive Education Program. We run regular seminars around the country and offer tailored training for organizations.

Further information about our seminars and public events is available on the website. If you are interested in having Hostage US provide training for your organization, get in touch.

Seminars and training are a paid service. Payment details for seminars is available on the website. Training costs are based on requirements and length of training.

Although our primary function is to help US hostages and their family members, we are happy to work with employers and organizations based overseas as much as our resources and expertise allow.

Returning hostages and their families are often suffering from the impacts of trauma. They may not be sleeping properly, they may be experiencing flashbacks, nightmares or intrusive thoughts about what has happened to them, they may be hyper-vigilant, feel angry, have a heightened sense of emotions, and might find it difficult to talk about what has happened. Some may be suffering from the serious effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Some former hostages and their families find it therapeutic to tell their story. It is part of processing what has happened to them, taking control of the situation, and finding a way to move on with their life. When they do wish to speak, it is vital they are treated with care, compassion and support and with an understanding of the way that normal interview techniques could have a detrimental impact on them due to their experiences.

Some former hostages and their families never want to speak publicly or privately to strangers about what they have been through. To force or pressure them to do so could have very negative consequences for their recovery.

Hostage US is happy to talk to journalists and academics about how best to prepare for interviews with former hostages and their families to help you to do this responsibly and with an appreciation of the potential impact on your interviewee.

Media and academic interviews with former hostages and their family members can force those individuals to relive their trauma. However, there are ways you can conduct yourself as the interviewer that can minimize this, and even produce a constructive and positive experience. The following guidelines have been adapted from those produced by the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, drawn from Australasian and international research by Dart members, including journalists, journalism researchers and health professionals.

People who have experienced deep trauma or who have lost someone close in sudden, violent circumstances have a right to decline being interviewed, photographed or filmed and news media, and their newsrooms, need to respect that right. Exercise the principle of doing no further harm.

Above all, be accurate and do not feign compassion, it can’t be faked. Offer sincere condolences early and in considerate, supportive terms. Use a supportive phrase like “I’m sorry this happened to you” rather than the more abrupt “How do you feel?” or the discordant “I know how you feel” which will immediately lose credibility.

Survivors are likely to be in shock, at least in the immediate period after the kidnapping of their loved one or their release, and may not be in a fit state to be interviewed, filmed or photographed – indeed, to give anything like informed consent to an interview, so go easy on them. Avoid “devil’s advocate” questions or questions that might imply blame or that they could have done more.

Even though a large number of news media will be chasing stories and fresh news angles at this time, resist the “pack” mentality, especially when media throngs are covering a subsequent development, event, arrival, etc. Pool resources where possible to limit demand on individuals and communities.

Often these people will be experiencing deep conflict and perhaps confusion. For news media to focus on that as-yet-unresolved mental or emotional conflict can be destructive to victims, survivors, witnesses, their families and friends as well as to unseen others who might have experienced similar or worse situations.

Invite these people to be interviewed or photographed and provide a supportive atmosphere for that interchange, rather than coerce, cajole, trick or offer remuneration to get co-operation – especially don’t thrust the additional burden of negotiating an “exclusive” onto grieving families.

Respect their choice to have someone with them or to appoint a family or external spokesperson or even a media advisor and don’t pay out on them for making such choices. Most likely they’re being bombarded with media requests and have little choice but to seek help with, or limit, demand.

Try to make your approach as respectful and gentle as possible, despite your pressing deadline or a newsroom impatient for your copy or images. Treat these people as you would like to be treated if the situation was reversed … this is particularly critical if you are an “out-of-towner”, as your radar may not be as attuned to local sensitivities as it could be.

For the families of victims and survivors, their loss, grief and concern is intensely focused and personal – it will also have its own timeline which may mean you’d get a far better story or image if you held off a little with those immediately affected … that doesn’t stop you from speaking to others who are not so closely affected, including officials, chaplains, etc.

If you get a knock-back, leave a contact card and tell them they can call you if they want to talk later, but don’t use leveraging techniques with victims, survivors, witnesses or their families to get them to agree to an interview or photograph. Do not blackmail people into co-operating on the basis they will help others. Let them decide.

Avoid, wherever possible, being the one to relay news of a death to an individual or family. The appropriate authorities should do that and relatives have a right to receive such news in private. If you are asked for additional details about the tragedy that they may not yet have, consider carefully your response and try to think you would feel if you were in their situation. You may want to suggest they check they with others. You may decide to share some but not all you know, but don’t repeat unconfirmed information.

Remember victims, survivors and their families and friends are struggling to regain control in their lives after a devastating experience … allow them to have some say in when, where and how they’re interviewed or photographed/filmed. Include them in any decisions you can – for instance, read back their quotes or replay raw tape, allow them to suggest which photo/s of a deceased or badly injured relative should be used, etc. Let vulnerable interviewees tell you when they’d like to take a break, whether they want you to put your notebook down or to turn off recording equipment so they can say something they don’t want used. Check whether it’s ok to ask a tough question.

If someone breaks down, give them time to compose themselves before asking: “Are you ready to go on?” Resist filming or photographing individuals in a distressed or emotional state (even readers/ viewers with no connection to tragedies are critical of this clichéd technique). Choose powerful, reinforcing images to illustrate the story and the victim’s worth to their family and/or community.

These stories do not need added sensation – rely on good, solid, factual journalism and a healthy dose of sensitivity. Be wary of recycling particular images of individuals, especially graphic ones. Also beware of choosing “tragic images” as page or screen icons. Often this will be a family’s last image of a lost loved one and it may not be pleasant.

Thoroughly check and re-check facts, names, times, places, etc., because such errors are painful to these individuals, families and their colleagues and cause unnecessary stress.

Remember people you speak to in these circumstances are rarely media-savvy. Try to explain the media process and how your story/picture/footage is likely to be used. Also explain that it may be reshaped prior to publication, or afterwards, or not used at all. Be honest if you know something is likely to run more than once. Many will take steps to ensure vulnerable family members such as children or the elderly are informed of, or shielded from, such reports. Encourage them to ask questions while you’re there to answer them and to call you if they have a question at a later stage.

It is important to remember that interviewing former hostages and their family members can have an impact on you, too. There are a number of warning signs you should look out for, such as difficulties concentrating, unusual irritability or short temper, images or thoughts related to a project intruding at unwanted times, unusual isolation or withdrawal, disrupted sleep, and an increase in self-medication.

The following is a list of ways individuals may respond emotionally to a traumatic event, and which can indicate whether a person is suffering from acute stress reaction. Generally, six “yes” responses indicate the presence of acute stress.

1. Upsetting thoughts or memories about the event that have come into your mind against your will
2. Upsetting dreams about the event
3. Acting or feeling as though the event were happening again
4. Feeling upset by reminders of the event
5. Bodily reactions (such as fast heartbeat, stomach churning, sweatiness, dizziness) when reminded of the event
6. Difficulty falling or staying asleep
7. Irritability or outbursts of anger
8. Difficulty concentrating
9. Heightened awareness of potential dangers to yourself and others
10. Being jumpy or being startled at something unexpected

The Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma has produced a guide for journalists covering traumatic stories, such as kidnappings. Read it here.