Carjackings have increased by 16,9 per cent in Gauteng, therefore it is important to have the necessary information that could help in hijacking scenarios, which could lead to one being a hostage.
The South African police have provided the following safety tips that victims should adhere to when they find themselves in such incidents. Victims need to increase their chances of survival and reduce the risk of discomfort and injury.
Firstly, the police said victims need to know what to expect.
People taken as hostages from hijackings tend to experience an overwhelming feeling of anxiety, shock, disbelief and confusion.
This usually pushes the victim to resistance and retaliation, which could result in fatal consequences.
The police added that you need to be prepared to be isolated as you will lose track of time and location. During this time you need to remain as calm as possible.
Your perpetrators will be tense and will tend to overreact, which could be caused by their own anxiousness and nervousness. Below are the Dos and Don’ts to increase your survival chances:
DO
- Everything the perpetrators tell you to do; follow their instructions
- Try at all times to maintain your pride, dignity and self-respect
- Keep your brain active by playing games in your mind, daydreaming and reading whatever you are offered
- To maintain your physical strength you should eat the food provided by your captor/s
- Try to maintain a sense of humour but do not ridicule the aggressors
- Try to remain orientated regarding your movements, directions, time and place
- Try to maintain a routine and remain fit, if circumstances permit
- Allow yourself to be led by your captor/s
- Try to remain cool and calm
- Fall flat and remain down during the attack.
DO NOT
- At any time become panic-stricken or hysterical
- Offer any form of resistance
- Become aggressive (physically and verbally) or lose your temper
- Threaten or provoke the captor/s
- Try anything heroic to save yourself or other victims
- Engage in an argument with the captor/s
- Engage in any whispered conversations with the perpetrators
- Use foreign concepts of language, as this could arouse the captor’s suspicions
- Make any demands
- Be sympathetic towards your captor’s cause
- Try to escape, as this could place you at risk.
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