Negotiating with Special Populations

Negotiating with terrorists, the elderly, combat veterans, fellow officers, inmates and troubled youth present a unique set of challenges for a negotiator. In this advanced course designed specifically for experienced negotiators, you will learn proven methods for dealing with these people in crisis.
There are as many different psychologies, motivations, and decision-making structures as there are types of terrorists. We will discuss the psychology of sub-state terrorism including Right-Wing, Social Revolutionary, National Separatist, Religious Extremist and Single-Issue terrorists. You will learn techniques for negotiating with both leaders and followers of a structured group during planned and unplanned incidents. We will also present an overview of security threats groups within the United States as well effective techniques for negotiation.
Murder/suicide and suicide among the elderly are one of the fastest growing law enforcement problems in the United States. You will learn the sociological and psychological effects of aging, depression and the elderly, and techniques for generational communication.

Adolescents experience mental health issues unique to their emotional and sociological development and you will learn how these issues differ from those of an adult. You will also gain a basic understanding of the psychological motivations of an adolescent in crisis and learn to recognize the characteristics of an emotionally disturbed youth.

A suicidal adolescent who makes a decision to commit suicide at school presents a risk to both peers and faculty. You will learn to identify indicators of the immediacy of suicide intent as well as procedures for ensuring the safety of others. We will also discuss the psychological and sociological aspects of the “Classroom Avenger” with special emphasis on negotiation techniques.
The availability of relevant intelligence, mental health assessments, facilities data, and the accountability of the inmate population are among a few of the advantages we will discuss in a corrections versus community discussion. Assessing threats, determining motivation, and developing a strategy are among other topics discussed.

Underestimating the threat, putting the wrong person on the phone, and the “Rescue Dynamic,” all have a negative impact on crisis incidents involving fellow officers. We will talk about these issues and more in our discussion of “negotiating with fellow officers.”

PTSD and the high suicide rate within Department of Defense demand a closer look at the law enforcement response to a veteran in crisis. We will explore, in-depth, the psychological wounds of veterans as it relates to crisis negotiation as well as specific negotiations strategies for mitigation.
You will gain a better understanding of each of the selected populations from both the psychological and sociological perspectives. More importantly, you will learn specific communication and negotiation strategies for mitigating a crisis.

TOPICS INCLUDE:
Negotiating with Structured Groups (Terrorists and Security Threat Groups)
Negating with the Elderly
Negotiating with Troubled Youth
Negotiating with Inmates
Negotiating with Fellow Officers
Negotiating with Combat Veterans

PREREQUISITES: You must be a sworn member of law enforcement or corrections, a non-law enforcement member of a crisis negotiation team, a mental health professional or a clergy member supporting law enforcement activities and have completed CSM’s Crisis Hostage Negotiations – Level I (Basic) course, or an equivalent 40-hour crisis negotiation course, prior to attending this class. Requests for exceptions must be submitted and approved by the course director.

NOTE: This course alone does not meet state and federal training requirements for crisis-hostage negotiator certification; however, it is intended as an advanced/ refresher for previously trained and experienced negotiators.

(CEH: 24-hours Interpersonal Perspectives)

Back to Courses