guides for hostages, Wrongful Detainees and their families

Hostage US has developed several guides to help former hostages and their families cope with a hostage taking or wrongful detention. Each guide provides an in-depth look at one aspect of the process. Select a guide below to preview and download.

Coping During a Kidnapping

Coping During a Kidnapping covers a hostage taking from the family’s perspective, from the first moment you learn or suspect that a family member has been kidnapped, to whom to contact, to what you can expect from a formal kidnapping response.

A Life After Captivity

A Life After Captivity addresses the questions that former hostages and wrongful detainees face upon returning home, including advice for maintaining mental and physical health, rebuilding a new life with family and friends, and when and how to return to work.

Getting Back to Work

Getting Back to Work addresses similar questions from an organizational perspective, describing what a workplace can do to support former hostages and wrongful detainees as they return to the workforce – either in the job they held prior to being taken hostage or in a different capacity. While there is no universal approach, these best practices can help ease the transition for everyone involved.

Handling the Media and Social Media

Finally, Handling the Media and Social Media covers if, when, and how to interact with the media during a kidnapping or wrongful detention. Again, there is no one-size-fits-all approach but these tips can help guide a family in making difficult decisions about how much to publicize their case, if at all.