Trauma Response in Hostage Victims

Abstract

Hostage situations involve high-intensity psychological stress, forced captivity, perceived threat to life, and disruption of autonomy. Victims may experience trauma responses such as acute stress disorder (ASD), PTSD, dissociation, survival guilt, attachment to captors (Stockholm syndrome), and impaired memory processing. This paper examines the psychological effects of hostage captivity, differentiates between short-term and long-term trauma responses, and analyzes coping mechanisms across geopolitical contexts. Using a hypothetical dataset of survivors from hostage incidents in India, the United Kingdom, and Brazil, the study evaluates patterns of emotional regulation, trauma symptoms, and recovery outcomes. Findings indicate that survivors’ trauma responses depend on duration of captivity, perceived threat, violence exposure, and relational dynamics with captors. A structured therapeutic intervention model is proposed