Pirates hijacked 53 ships and held a total of 1,181 hostages for ransom last year, according to the International Maritime Bureau. Forty nine of those ships and 1,016 of those hostages – from commercial and private vessels — were seized by pirates off the coast of Somalia, a statistic that was brought into sharp relief last month when Somali pirates hijacked a yacht and on Feb. 22 murdered the four Americans aboard. Two days later, a Danish family, including three children, was taken from their yacht by Somali pirates and as of this writing had been moved to a larger pirate vessel off the Somali Coast.

These very unfortunate events and statistics are renewing and raising awareness about Somali piracy, and many piracy experts echo the advice of Amb. David H. Shinn, former U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia and Burkina Faso, who notes that “leisure travelers have no business going into the Western Indian Ocean until the crisis caused by Somali pirates has ended.”

The International Maritime Bureau also reports that there were 445 pirate attacks worldwide last year, underscoring that piracy is not just a Somali problem. “Hostile boardings happen all over the world,” especially in South Asia, the Caribbean, and even off the coast of Florida,” says Charles Clifton, founder and director of non-profit security companyHumanitarian Defense. “If you are not prepared to fight, or have people with you that are, risky voyages should not be attempted.”

However, “some pirates come on board just to steal things,” says Capt. James K. Staples, a Master Mariner and U.S. Merchant Marine. “They’re basically thieves, not holding people for ransom, but if you a catch a thief in the act, don’t resist him. Given the fact that he is a desperate person to begin with, if he wants something that’s replaceable, let him take it. Everything on that boat is replaceable, including the boat.” Here now, more advice from maritime and survival experts about surviving a pirate attack.

Be a harder target

Prior to sailing anywhere you must “understand the situation you are facing,” says Clifton. “Research trends and hotspots where piracy and other criminal activity may be occurring. Then avoid them. The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) piracy mapis a good resource for this.” Adds safety expert Randy Spivey, who ran hostage survival training programs for the Department of Defense, “the best way to survive a hostage situation or act of piracy is never to get into it. People need to understand the risk factors of the locations that they’re going to travel to,” noting that the Overseas Security Advisory Counsel (OSAC) can yield “real-time information on risk factors.”

When you’re in port, it pays to “get all local knowledge you can from local captains, the port captains office, [and] from marina staff” about potential piracy problems along your route and the port itself, says former Navy SEAL Team officer Matt Bracken, noting that protecting yourself “starts with local awareness, talking to other skippers, and always listening for reports of things being stolen or pilfered.”

While many travelers associate piracy with being boarded on the open sea, Bracken says the “biggest danger is being attacked at anchor,” noting that since marinas may cost upwards of $50 a night for docking, many seafarers will “anchor out” up to a half mile from shore. And even if you don’t consider yourself wealthy, Bracken says, the very fact that you have a boat may make you come across that way to a pirate. “When people anchor out they think, ‘I’m not rich,’ [but to] people watching me from shore, I’m Bill Gates.” Make your boat a harder target, he says. Secure your boat’s dinghy with a steel cable as “someone coming from shore won’t necessarily bring a bolt cutter.” Also, he suggests, cruise in groups or with at least one other boat so you can take turns having a person on watch at all times.

If pirates approach you

While piloting his 48-foot steel sailing cutter between Panama and Hawaii, Bracken had a 150-foot steel ship fall in behind him, which he knew felt all wrong. While he had real weapons on board, he broke out a black spray-painted plywood M-16, which he constructed at 1.2 times scale so that “it looks bigger and more threatening than a real one.” He adds that at 400 to 500 yards if pirates are “binocularing you and they see someone producing a weapon at that range, they know there is a risk of getting shot.” The vessel trailing Bracken “finally turned away and went somewhere else.”

Naval officer turned professor Harold J. Kearsley had a similar experience in the mid-80s while sailing from the UK on a route that among other locales took him to the Canary Islands, Antigua, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, where the coast guard warned him that it was not prudent to stop at various islands within the Bahamas. Kearsley complied, but while off one of the central islands he was “approached by a speed boat. It looked pretty aggressive. I can’t tell you categorically they were pirates” but he soon broke out a Mini-14 semi automatic assault rifle and a muzzle-loading powder rifle, making sure they “were prominently displayed on deck.” There was no confrontation.

If you’re not trained or inclined to use guns, you should still be armed with situational awareness, says Air Force veteran and SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) school instructor Cameron Gamble.”If you see a small white boat coming toward [your boat] with three skinny objects in it, “whether it’s a threat or not I have to treat it as such. I’m putting out a radio call,” adding that “before these guys actually reach me, the most lifesaving thing that’s going to take place is not necessarily a radio call or securing [valuables] on board, but being mentally prepared for what’s about to happen.”

If you’re boarded by pirates

Part of your mental preparation upon first contact with pirates is avoiding the “shock of capture,” Gamble says, taking yourself through three steps: “who are these attackers, what are their motives, and what are they willing to do to get what they want? If my assessment is that these guys are coming on board and killing every single person they’re coming in contact with, I need to flee,” but “if all these guys want is to take the ship and need a mode of transportation, I’m just going to ride it out.”

Spivey likewise has a three-step strategy: the three C’s — calm, connect, and capitalize. “You want to be a calming influence, maintain your composure, and don’t do anything to escalate the tension. If they say don’t look at them, don’t look at them,” which may stop you from getting to the next two steps at first, though Spivey suggests that even if the first hours of captivity are hostile, your captors may become bored and thus receptive enough for you to try the next two steps. By connecting, “you want to make yourself appear as a person, not an object. Find a common interest. A lot of times people will talk about family. What you’re trying to do is reverse the Stockholm Syndrome – it is easier to kill an object than a person.” During the capitalization stage, Spivey says, encourage your captors “to seek and find a peaceful resolution. Even if things look like they are not going well, make statements like ‘I’m sure it’s going to work out’ or ‘I’m sure it’s going to be okay.” And unless you’re certain you can discuss politics, religion, and economics to useful conversational ends, most sources say, pick other topics.

If you’re on a cruise

Staples says that many cruise ships nowadays “have good security aboard — there is armed security aboard most cruise ships that’s not advertised.” However, cruise ship passengers are still susceptible to risk and “it’s a whole different scenario if the pirates physically have control of you versus their being on board and you being [locked] in your stateroom,” says board-certified travel security expert Phillip Farinna, CPP, as your chances of being harmed diminish, particularly if there is crossfire during a rescue.

“If you come face to face with a pirate, don’t resist,” Farina says, though he adds that that might not be your first instinct. “It’s tough to tell someone that they need to make a life-threatening or life -changing action at that moment because it’s different for each person. One person may decide to put their hands up, some people might freeze, or they may not be cognizant or able to respond. And on the other side are the people who want to fight – and as humans we have all three pieces within us –fight, flight, or freeze.”

Farina posits more scenarios. “If I’m walking down a gangplank and a pirate comes around the corner, what am I going to do? If a pirate doesn’t have a firearm and is just speaking to me loudly, what do I do? If they have a firearm and are walking in the opposite direction from where I came, and I look and see they are distracted, do I retreat to the stairwell or try to take the gun?

There is no right answer, particularly for that last one. “If you have the opportunity to be proactive, meaning taking a moment to think and the situation is bad, you will make whatever decision is the best for you at that moment. Your best choice might be to turn around and wrestle with that pirate and be injured, but the fact that you’ve done that may permit other passengers to escape. So that’s a tough call. So much of that comes down to the individual and who they are personally and depends on the situations.”

It’s critical for people to realize that awareness is not a switch turned on and off when they feel vulnerable at certain times. Yes, there are moments when our awareness needs to be in a heightened state, but that’s not where I am going with this. I am talking about being great at understanding our surroundings and interpreting their meanings for what they really are, all the time. We become great at this when we get in the mindset of practicing “intentional awareness”. It becomes a part who we are, and when we drive a half a mile down the road to the grocery store we can’t help but analyze every moving, living, breathing thing, ensuring it doesn’t negatively affect our safety.

I bring all of this up because the Awareness factor helps us focus on the safety of ourselves and our family and allows us to categorize all that we are taking in through our senses and place them into a decision making process. Once we are in a place of “constant awareness” it becomes a very natural attribute to our day-to-day activities. Not only does it allow us to protect ourselves and our family, but now we can focus on the threats that affect those around us.

It’s not often we get to to share like this on our website, but I wanted to give you all an opportunity to give your feedback on the picture below. Please feel free to share what your response would have been to the situation, and also any similar story’s you might have.

This picture was taken last Saturday outside a strip mall while I was waiting in the parking lot. A little boy around age 7 came out one of the stores and walked about 50 feet and sat down on a bench outside of a restaurant. He remained there with zero interaction from anyone perceived to be his guardian. Just to give you a rough estimate there were at least 75 to a 100 people that walked right past the child and never batted an eyelash, including employees of the restaurant.

Now it’s your turn. What do you think the right thing to do is, and why did so many people ignore him?

In Atlanta, GA on March 11, 2005 Brian Nichol’s was being escorted to his trial for the rape of his ex-girlfriend. While removing Nichols hand cuffs so that he could change for court he overpowered and brutally attacked the deputy sheriff assigned to escort him to his trial and took her weapon. He proceeded down the stairs to the courtroom where he shot and killed the judge who was presiding over his case, the court reporter, a deputy sheriff, and later a Federal agent. He carjacked several cars throughout the day and unsuccessfully tried took take each driver as a hostage. All of the carjacked victims were able to escape. Around 2:00am Nichols spotted Ashley Smith Robinson returning to her apartment from a convenient store alone. He ran up to her, held her at gun point, and forced himself into her apartment.

He tied Ashley up with a lamp chord, duck tape, and pieces of a curtain. He later put her in the bathroom and placed a towel over her head while he took a shower. He then asked Ashley if she had any marijuana in her apartment. She said no, but she did have some “ice” (methamphetamine). Ashley was a single parent who had been struggling with a drug addiction. Nichols wanted Ashley to use the drug with him and she said no. It was at this moment Ashley decided to never use drugs again.

Throughout the night and into the next morning Ashley got a very good look into the motives of her Taker. Nichols shared the details as to why he had taken Ashley as a hostage, and what all he had done the day prior. Ultimately Ashley convinced Nichols that turning himself in to the authorities was the right and safe thing to do.

So, how did this young, recovering drug addict, single mom convince a man who was a rapist and murderer to turn himself in?

Without a doubt, one of the greatest weapons a captive has is knowing the motives of their Taker. Ashley used a great deal of situational awareness in assessing Nichols. She allowed him to rant about his circumstances and was able to understand her situation better because of it. She empathized with Nichols on certain topics, and ultimately moved herself from an “object” in Nichols mind to a human being. She talked about her husband dying in her arms 4-years earlier, the negative impact drugs have made in her life, the love she has for her 5-year old daughter, and the things God had been doing in her heart for the better. WHAT? She spoke about religion to the Taker? That goes against so many tactics, techniques, and procedures of building rapport with your Taker.

It is so often taught by many organizations that the three areas of discussion to avoid with a Taker are politics, money, and religion. Even the most basic instructions of being a hostage and building rapport teach to avoid these topics. Then why was it so successful for Ashley Smith? What did she do so differently? Well, as mentioned above, she learned very quickly what Brian Nichols motives were, and then she responded appropriately to his needs. He needed a way out of his situation. She described the hope she had found in her circumstances from God and helped Nichols relate. She began to gain Nichols trust in a very short period of time and it ultimately led to her escape.

But, no doubt the thing that made her escape so successful was her desire to survive, the proper assessment of her Taker, and the appropriate application of her responses to him.

On May 5, 2004, Jessica Faulkner, an 18-year-old freshman, was just wrapping up her first year at UNCW in Wilmington, NC. Shortly after noon, Jessica’s father, John Faulkner, received a disturbing call from a fellow student who said he had killed Jessica. Authorities found Jessica’s body in a classmate’s room.

Curtis Dixon, a 20-year-old freshman who also lived in Jessica’s dorm, was arrested and later confessed to the crime. Faulkner’s mother stated that no one knew much about Curtis Dixon’s background

Jessica’s mother said her daughter complained to one resident assistant and called home to say Dixon was stalking her. Jessica’s mom stated there were times she spoke to her on the phone in the dorm room and she’d say, “Mom, I have to whisper because he might be right outside my door.”

Jessica continually rejected Dixon’s advances. On the last day of school, he made his move. Police say Dixon sent an instant message to Jessica and invited her back to his room, saying that he wanted to give her a gift. Jessica went to Dixon’s room and he hit her over the head. Reports indicate that she was so tiny and he was so big, she didn’t have a chance.

An autopsy report said Jessica was “hit on the back of the head, injected with a possible date rape drug, sexually assaulted and strangled.” And after the assault, Dixon apparently stayed in the room. The next morning, he went to breakfast with a group of people and told them Jessica was packing.

So how did Jessica’s situation get so out of hand? There are a few troubling things in the report above that should jump off the page to any reader. The first would be the complaints from Jessica about Dixon stalking her that seemed to have gone unattended. Over 75% of all stalking victims know their stalker. That is a very scary thought initially, but it can give us great insight as to how stalking can be combated. Secondly, the fact that Jessica responded to an instant message from Dixon and showed up to his room is very disturbing given his track record.

Like mentioned in previous case studies, knowing the motives of the Taker is perhaps the captive’s greatest tool. It allows for the proper assessment and application of responses to the Stalker/Taker. Every captivity outcome, whether good or bad, is ultimately affected by the captive’s response to the Taker.

It’s safe to say the reason Jessica’s situation got so out of hand is not due to any lack of concern with Dixon stalking her, but more so that people, including Jessica, did not have the appropriate response to Dixon. The response is everything!

Duke painted the symbol V for Vendetta from the Hollywood movie on the wall, pulled out a handgun, and proceeded to rant about his wife losing her job from the school system and the recent tax hikes in America. The school superintendent Bill Husfelt, then engaged Duke and proceeded to take responsibility for Duke’s wife losing her job. Husfelt asked for Duke to release all of the other hostages and just keep him because they had nothing to do with the decision to fire his wife. When Duke wouldn’t listen Husfelt stated, “I’ve got a feeling that you want the cops to come in here and kill you because your mad. Because you said your gonna die today.” At this point Duke raised the 9mm pistol, aimed it at Husfelt and pulled the trigger. He then fired shots at each of the other board members missing them all, including Husfelt. Duke was then shot by the school security guard in the legs. He fell to the floor and took his own life.

The video of the shooting points out several critical things we can learn from. First and foremost is the behavior of Duke. Immediately  warning signs should have been going off when he stood up and painted a V for Vendetta on the wall. The problem is though that the people did not know how to react to what Duke was doing. They knew it was wrong and they knew there was a problem, but most of them were in shock and didn’t know what to do. If we lack the situational awareness that tells us how to react appropriately when things don’t seem right then we are destined to be in trouble when they happen. Shock is what kept all of those people in the room, or rather, the inability to overcome their shock and act appropriately. You first must recognize what is taking place in the psychological and physiological aspects of your own body before you can react appropriately to any decision needing to be made.

The second thing that the video points out is Duke’s choice in his hostages. He told everyone to leave accept for the male members of the board. This tells us a lot about his motives and potentially the level of threat the hostages were facing, as well as Duke’s state of mind. We won’t be able to relate to the Taker on most levels, but if we are paying attention to what the Taker is saying, we can often pick out their vulnerabilities. In this case, Duke indicated that he would feel bad about killing a women and that his state of mind was not too far gone for the hostages to bring him back through respnding properly to him or, atleast be able to buy more time. Dukes choice of hostages also indicated just how serious the threat was for the men because they were targeted.

My final remarks have to do with what we call the engagement phase. In this case it was during the time that Duke and the board members were talking to each other. At one point you can hear a board member try and humanize himself by saying he had a lot to live for because he had a wife and kids. Shortly after that Husfelt engeged Duke with a bit of an argumentative tone. Husfelt goes on to use certain buzz words such as “kill” , ”mad”, and “die”. This seems to set Duke over the edge and he responds by aiming the gun at Husfelt and attempting to take his life and the rest of the board members lives.

I do credit Husfelt for attempting to free the other hostages. That was a very heroic act on his part, but his lack of understanding on how to properly engage with the Taker seemed to be his downfall. In a situation such as this one, time seems to be the best solution. Stalling the Taker allows for those who can resolve this situation to take action. Husfelt can’t be blamed though, because he simply just didn’t know any better. I wonder how many of us really do?

Detective Jon Richey took the stand to testify that in August 2002, a Good Samaritan claimed that Smart might be at a downtown Salt Lake City library. According to the tipster, two young women, who were in the company of an odd-looking bearded man, were wearing burqa-style head coverings. The tipster claimed that the younger of the two women had eyes that were remarkably similar to Smart’s (the eyes were the only visible part of the young girl’s veiled face).

Upon questioning the trio, Detective Richey asked the man (who we now know to be Mitchell) if he could look under the young girl’s burqa. Mitchell vigorously claimed that to expose the girl’s face would violate their religious beliefs. No matter how many times Richey asked to see the girl’s face, Mitchell stood fast, claiming that there would be “serious religious consequences” should the girl’s face be exposed to anyone but her husband. He also told the detective that their religion forbids women from speaking in public.

Detective Richey admitted that he became concerned about violating the trio’s “civil rights,” so he backed down. Mitchell, his wife and accomplice Wanda Barzee, and Smart were allowed to go on their way, and Elizabeth Smart would be forced to endure seven more months of rape, torture, and physical and mental abuse.

There are so many moments in captivity that offer a way out. Most are overlooked by the captive because they are so overwhelmed by their circumstances. However, we often hear the stories from former victims of these moments and how they felt as though there was nothing they could do to help themselves. Many people give their opinion on “what they would have done differently”. It’s arguable that nobody really knows what they would have done unless they were in that situation.

So what was it that prevented Elizabeth Smart from screaming out from the top of her lungs to Detective Richey the four letter word HELP? Many Psychologists might argue that she was experiencing a common phenomenon in captivity called Stockholm Syndrome, where a captive empathizes with their Taker.

Although there may have been moments of this during Elizabeth’s captivity, it’s more likely that she was dealing with the physiological and psychological effects of the shock of capture. Yes, this event took place nearly two months into her captivity, but no doubt a sophisticated Taker, like Mitchell, would have no problem inducing this emotion in Elizabeth as often as he saw fit.

What Elizabeth didn’t know how to do was properly combat the shock of captivity and regain the control her Taker possessed over her. Although it is currently being argued whether Mitchell is insane or a religious fanatic, the tools in responding to either kind of Taker are worthless unless there is an understanding of how to apply them.