kidnapping essay

A Kidnap, by Lydia Chepkirui

Lift the Lid is proud to announce the winner of the 4th Annual Writing Competition at Mogonjet Secondary School in Kericho, Kenya. Lydia Chepkirui was chosen from six finalists for her personal essay “A Kidnap.”

Read her chilling true-life story.

An award of $100 was given to Lydia, $50 to benefit her class and $50 to help with school fees. We admire her bravery for revisiting the most frightening time of her life to write about when she was kidnapped and how she managed to escape. Her story is important to share, particularly how she became abducted by people she knew and how she kept a level head despite fearing for her life.

Congratulations Lydia on your noble and well-written essay!

If You Like This Story, Please Share!

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Congratulations, Lydia! You are a talented writer, and clearly you put time and effort into your work. (I still get chills when I think of your experience.)

I hope to see more of your writing in the future!

Congratulations, Lydia! Your creativity is now turning your wealth. Make maximum use of the opportunity at hand. Hope to see you represent us all…. God be with you.

She is so creative and I will want to join in

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Home — Essay Samples — Science — DNA — Kidnapped Essay: The Psychological, Social, and Legal Dimensions

Kidnapped Essay: The Psychological, Social, and Legal Dimensions

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Published: Jun 13, 2024

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Introduction, psychological impact on victims, social repercussions for families and communities, legal measures and prevention strategies.

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Our Reporting

Child kidnappings that captured our attention.

They don't happen often, but when they do, child abductions by strangers can capture Americans' attention like few other crimes. A look at notorious kidnappings over the past century and a half shows how attitudes have changed.

October 4, 2016 | by Madeleine Baran and Jennifer Vogel

The stereotypical kidnapping of a child by a stranger is vanishingly rare, accounting for less than 1 percent of all missing child cases. When the crimes do happen, they make an impact, tapping into some of the public's greatest fears and insecurities.

They also reveal society's prejudices. The cases that rise to prominence tend to involve white children, often from wealthy families, although the FBI estimates that more than a third of missing kids are black. The imbalance in attention is so pronounced that in 2008 a former police officer and her sister-in-law launched a foundation called Black & Missing .

High-profile abductions also, to some degree, trace social mores. In the 1950s, for example, the motivations largely shifted from the collection of ransom money to the satisfaction of sexual desires. Cases of pedophilia existed previously, of course, but society may have been too prim to acknowledge or publicize them before the liberating 1960s.

These are the cases in the past century and a half that made headlines and sometimes led to significant changes in law.

Playing in the front yard of his family home, Charley was kidnapped by two men in a horse-drawn carriage who promised to buy firecrackers for him and his brother. The apparent kidnappers demanded a ransom of $20,000, but the boy's father was advised by the police not to pay. Bill Mosher and Joe Douglas were both shot during a subsequent burglary. Mosher died immediately and Douglas confessed before dying, stating: "The boy will get home all right." But Charley was never found. This was one of the first kidnappings for ransom in the United States and was the most prominent until the Lindbergh case.

The daughter of a prominent banker, Marion was abducted from her school by a man posing as a bank employee who told the school secretary that the girl's father had been injured. The man, William Hickman, demanded a $1,500 ransom. When the father delivered the money, he saw Marion in the car next to Hickman. But she was already dead. He had cut off her arms and legs and disemboweled her, stuffing her with rags and sewing her eyes open. A huge manhunt ensued, and eventually Hickman was caught. He was one of the first to invoke a new California law allowing pleas of not guilty due to insanity. A jury nonetheless sentenced him to hang, and he went to the gallows in October 1928.

Charles was kidnapped from his crib in the family home. His parents, including the famous aviator Charles Lindbergh, paid a ransom of $50,000, but the boy was found dead a few months later. Bruno Hauptmann, an unemployed carpenter, was convicted and executed, although he claimed innocence. Called the "crime of the century," the kidnapping brought about the Federal Kidnapping Act in 1932, also known as the "Lindbergh Law," which made it a federal crime to transport kidnapping victims across state lines. Lloyd's of London also introduced "kidnap insurance."

A woman retrieved Robert from school by claiming to be a relative taking him to his sick mother. The boy, the son of a wealthy auto dealer, was trusting and compliant. The kidnapping led to what is thought to be the largest ransom payment in American history up to that time, $600,000. But Robert was already dead by the time the demand was made, killed by Carl Hall and Bonnie Heady. Both were convicted and executed in Missouri's gas chamber in Jefferson City.

Steven was approached on his way home from school by Ervin Murphy, who claimed to be a minister but who was actually working on behalf of a convicted child molester, Kenneth Parnell. Steven was abducted and held for seven years, during which time he was sexually assaulted and renamed Dennis Parnell. When Kenneth Parnell kidnapped a younger boy named Timothy White, Steven decided to save the boy, and the two escaped. Parnell and Murphy were convicted and served time in prison. Steven died in a motorcycle accident in 1989, the same year as the release of a movie based on his life, "I Know My First Name is Steven."

Etan was abducted on his way to a school bus stop in Manhattan. The kidnapping resulted in a massive search and hundreds of tips, but he was never found. Years later, the family won a wrongful death lawsuit against a friend of one of Etan's babysitters, but the man was never criminally charged. Finally, in 2012, a store clerk named Pedro Hernandez was charged after confessing to strangling Etan, but the jury failed to reach a verdict, resulting in a mistrial. Etan was among the first children to be featured on a milk carton. His disappearance helped spark the modern missing children's movement, highlighting pedophilia as a motive. May 25, the day he disappeared, is National Missing Children's Day.

Adam disappeared from a shopping mall after being separated from his mother. A few weeks later, his severed head was found in Vero Beach, 120 miles away. A serial killer named Ottis Toole confessed, but he later recanted and was never tried. Toole died in prison in 1996 and the police closed the case in the belief that Toole was responsible. Adam's parents lobbied for the Missing Children's Act of 1982, which created a national database of information on missing children, and helped found the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, established by Congress in 1984. Adam's murder also led to the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act in 2006, which placed more comprehensive registration requirements on sex offenders. Adam's father, John, launched and became the host of "America's Most Wanted."

Johnny disappeared while delivering newspapers. Witnesses saw a man in a car talking to him and perhaps speeding away around the time of his disappearance. His parents discovered he was missing when they received calls from unhappy newspaper delivery customers. They reported the incident, but the police said Johnny had to be gone for 72 hours before he could be considered missing, a requirement his mother, Noreen, later worked to change. Johnny, one of the first children to appear on a milk carton, was never found, and Noreen believes he was kidnapped as part of a child trafficking ring, an issue on which she has become outspoken.

Jacob was abducted while on his way home from the local Tom Thumb store with his brother and best friend. The abductor, recently identified as Danny Heinrich, carried a gun and wore a mask, disappearing with Jacob. He led investigators to Jacob's remains at the end of August 2016. Jacob's disappearance led to one of the widest manhunts in U.S. history and brought about the first federal law requiring states to register sex offenders, in 1994, called the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act. His mother, Patty, became an advocate for missing children and ran for the U.S. House twice.

Jaycee was abducted while walking to a school bus stop. She was missing for 18 years before her rescue in 2009. A convicted sex offender, Phillip Garrido, and his wife, Nancy, had kept her captive, during which time she had given birth to two daughters. Finally, thanks to alert security officers at the University of California, Berkeley, the two were arrested and convicted of rape and false imprisonment. The case gave hope to families of other abductees, who wanted desperately to believe their children were still alive.

Polly was hosting a slumber party with friends when a man wielding a knife entered her bedroom, tied up the girls and placed pillow cases over their heads. He abducted Polly, who was later found dead. Richard Davis, who had a violent criminal past, was convicted. The case fueled support for California's "three strikes" law, which passed in 1994, and was one of the first to use digital technology in the search, enabling Polly's digitized photo to be widely distributed on the internet.

Megan was raped and murdered by her neighbor, a convicted sex offender named Jesse Timmendequas, who lured her into his house with the promise of seeing a new puppy. He dumped her body in a nearby park. Timmendequas confessed and was sentenced to death, but in 2007, New Jersey abolished the death penalty, so his sentence was commuted to life in prison. Her murder led to a federal Megan's Law in 1996, which provided for the public dissemination of information from sex offender registries, such as when an offender moves into a community.

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Lessons From The Dugard Abduction

For 18 years, Phillip Garrido kept Jaycee Dugard prisoner in his backyard. Contra Costa County Sheriff Warren Rupf has offered apologies for mistakes and missed opportunities that prolonged the young woman's ordeal. Can we learn anything from what transpired? Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, joins in a discussion with former FBI agent Clint Van Zandt.

Web Resources

Copyright © 2009 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

• Writing About
• Tips For Writers

January 22, 2013

Writing about: a kidnapping.

10 comments:

Wow, I've never seen anyone write about how to do a kidnapping before. Very cool. Hello Fellow FWA'er. Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you too, Vicki! This post isn't obviously about how to do a kidnapping in real life. I know nothing about that and I am strongly against anyone attempting it! Unfortunately, kidnappings do happen, even in literature. I found myself writing about one for my book so I figured other writers might be curious about how to write about a kidnapping as well. Thank you for your comment. I hope you stop by again!

Hi, this really is really good because I am writing a novel on a kidnapping. I'm just having trouble starting it off. Do I start off with the attack or someone arriving at the scene to see it a mess?

There's no right or wrong way to start a scene or book about a kidnapping. Think about your story and what would be best. :)

This really helped me out. I've written about kidnappings before, but this really helps me out a lot and inspires me to write another kidnapping story. :) You should write a book about writing books. lol :P

This was absolutely fantastic. I have had trouble writing a convincing kidnapping scene in my years of writing - this helped so much. Thank you.

Hi there, I'm writing a story about a girl who was kidnapped for knowing some kind of information, which she happens to forget after she is kidnapped. My question is What kind of information can get someone kidnapped? It should be something strange or the readers will find intresting. And it shouldn't be technological or scientific -Like she has the steps on making a biological weapon- No. I hope someone can give me what I need to complete my chapter Thank you

I have no idea if this is much too late or not, but maybe it will at least help other people browsing this page in the future. First, I think you should ask yourself some questions about what sort of story you want this to be. How important is this kidnapping? Is there any chance it would be government-related? Maybe the government sent secret agents to tie her up to get information about a foreign country or something. Or maybe it's about aliens, or magic. Alternately, maybe it's something related to a significant other or a business! Maybe a jealous stalker creep wants to impersonate the person she likes, or maybe she knows a business secret that some other, probably sleezy business wants. Or maybe a secret recipe to an extremely special dish. If you have any way to give her or a friend of hers a competitor like that, that could definitely do it. Or, the weakness of someone or something! How to sneak into x well-guarded place, perhaps, or a person the kidnapper hates and wants to kill/take down in some way. Hope this helps someone!

Hi! I am writing a kidnapping scene for a fanfic that I'm writing. But this man is kidnapped a four year old from her bed. Any advice for this type of kidnap? Thanks1

You've probably long since finished or abandoned your fanfic, but here's some advice, anyway! First, I think you need to know what relation this man has to this girl. That's incredibly important. Is it her biological father, whom she's fond of? Maybe she was lost in a custody battle. Is it someone she already knows and hates/is afraid of? Is it a complete stranger? Second, I think you should consider the disposition of the little girl, and whether or not she would even wake up. If she's friendly, she may greet the person and possibly express confusion. If she's a bit timid, she's likely to scream, struggle, cry.... If you're writing it from her point of view, I think the advice on the page is still perfectly applicable. If it's from his point of view, then write about how he got in, then him grabbing her, etc. If it's more objective, a mysterious, possibly even slightly vague description may help. Perhaps something about a shadowy figure approaching a child fast asleep in her bed, before he snatches her up and vanishes into the night. Hopefully this is able to help someone! Best of luck with your writing ventures. =)

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Kidnapping and hostage-taking: a review of effects, coping and resilience

Introduction.

Although the history of kidnapping and hostage-taking is a very long one, it is only relatively recently that there has been a systematic attempt to understand the effects, both long-term and short-term, on individuals and their families. This is an important issue for clinical and academic reasons. The advice of mental health professionals is sought with increasing frequency with regard to the strategic management of hostage incidents and the clinical management of those who have been abducted. There is evidence to suggest that how best to help those who have been taken hostage is a sensitive and complex matter, and those who deal with such individuals should be as well informed as possible since such events can have long-term adverse consequences, particularly on young children.

This paper addresses the following:

• the background in terms of the history of this phenomenon, the motives behind it and the authorities' responses thereto;
• the psychological and physical effects of being taken hostage;
• coping and survival strategies;
• issues which require further research.

Early texts refer to the kidnapping of Abram's nephew (Lot), Julius Caesar and Richard the Lionheart. In medieval times, knights displayed their noble heritage through heraldic devices in the hope that their higher perceived market value would increase their chances of being kept alive for ransom rather than being killed. In the 17th century, children were stolen from their families for ‘export’ to the North American colonies as servants and labourers. (Hence, ‘kid’ meaning ‘child’, and ‘nap’ or ‘nab’ meaning ‘to snatch’.) Press-ganging was a means of ensuring an adequate supply of personnel for the merchant fleet during the 19th century.

Certain high profile events, much due to the efforts of the media, highlighted the psychological impact of kidnapping. For example, one of the earliest was the kidnapping on 1 March 1932 by Bruno Hauptmann, a German carpenter, of Colonel Charles Lindbergh's son for ransom. 1 The suffering of the child's parents, and the difficulties of the police enquiry, were exacerbated by widespread speculation and misinformation, and serial random notes. The mutilated body of the child was found and the perpetrator was executed on 3 April 1936. This event caused public revulsion, and the revision of the authorities' bargaining and investigating methods, particularly by the FBI, and even the suicide of a waitress to the family, who was cleared in the enquiries.

In 1972, the ‘Black September’ group (an auxiliary faction of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation) took hostage the Israeli wrestling team at the Munich Olympics. The unsuccessful negotiations, and the tragic deaths of the whole team during an abortive rescue effort by the German Border Police, were relayed throughout the world by the international media. 2 Also, after this tragedy, many international authorities revised their strategies for dealing with hostage incidents and sieges.

Motives for taking hostages

Motives can be divided into ‘expressive’ (i.e. an effort to voice and/or publicize a grievance or express a frustrated emotion) and ‘instrumental’ (i.e. to obtain a particular outcome such as ransom). 3 In reality it is usually difficult to identify any single motive, particularly when the event is terrorist-inspired. Material motives (e.g. ransom) may be conveniently masked by alleged religious, political and moral ones. Moreover, ransoms may be used to fund political and religious activities. Also, some insurgency groups sell hostages on to other groups for their own purposes.

The taking of foreign hostages has become a particularly popular modus operandi for terrorists (who tend to be well-organized and selective in their ‘target’ hostages), particularly due to their cynical but generally effective use of extensive media coverage. Also, the frequency of kidnapping of overseas personnel has markedly increased in Afghanistan since the US invasion in 2001. Unfortunately, the death toll among hostages is high in Afghanistan and Iraq. A particularly distasteful feature of hostage-taking in these countries is the video-taped executions of hostages, such as those of Nick Berg (a US businessman) and Ronald Schultz (a US security consultant), and their broadcast by Al Jazeera or Al Arabia: such broadcasts represent, however, a powerful psychological weapon, which, as indicated by Pape, 4 runs the risk of losing public support and sympathy.

Other areas which have become high-risk ones for hostage-taking are Nigeria and Colombia. Most incidents in the former are carried out by criminal gangs for ransom, such as the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta – MEND. Ransoms in both countries are often on a modest scale to ensure they can be paid. This strategy is sometimes referred to as ‘Express Kidnapping’. The frequency of hostage incidents in Colombia has increased 1600% between 1987 and 2000. 5 The motives there appear to be largely criminal, for financial gain, rather than political. Sometimes such events are described as ‘Economic Extortive Kidnapping’. These events can have demoralizing effects on families, who may lose all faith in supportive agencies and organizations, according to a follow-up study by Navia and Ossa. 5

Authorities' responses

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the prevailing model of dealing with such incidents, particularly in the prisons of the USA, had been the ‘Suppression Model’ (i.e. the use of overwhelming physical force). 6 This approach can still be used successfully as was shown by the interventions of the Special Air Service in response to the Iranian Embassy Siege in 1980 in London. However, such successes are not common, and they require extremely careful planning and execution. Armed response has now generally yielded to the techniques of negotiation and conflict resolution in recognition of the risks that an armed response creates for hostages. Such risks were tragically demonstrated at the 1972 Munich Olympics. 2 More recently, the catastrophic failures by the Russian authorities to rescue the patrons of the Dubrovka theatre in Moscow in 2002 and the children and staff of the Beslan school in 2004, confirmed how risky armed intervention by the authorities can be. The last two incidents resulted in the deaths of 130 and 334 hostages, respectively.

From a psychological point of view, negotiation ‘buys time’ to enable:

• hostages, perpetrators and the authorities to ‘cool down’;
• the authorities to clarify the motives of the perpetrator(s);
• the authorities to gather intelligence;
• the authorities to formulate a rescue strategy (should negotiation fail).

Unfortunately, from the hostages' point of view progress may seem to be very slow, and they commonly wonder why the authorities do not ‘do something’, including effecting their rescue by force.

Psychological and physical effects of being a hostage

For ethical and practical reasons, particularly if children are involved, the follow-up of hostages on release is difficult. 7 Thus, the scientific and clinical database is relatively modest. Much reliance is therefore placed on autobiographical and biographical accounts of high profile hostages (e.g. Waite, 8 Slater, 9 Keenan 10 and Shaw 11 ).

Psychological effects

In general terms, the psychological impact of being taken hostage is similar to that of being exposed to other trauma, including terrorist incidents and disasters for adults 12 and children. 13

Typical adult reactions include:

• Cognitive : impaired memory and concentration; confusion and disorientation; intrusive thoughts (‘flashbacks’) and memories; denial (i.e. that the event has happened); hypervigilance and hyperarousal (a state of feeling too aroused, with a profound fear of another incident);
• Emotional : shock and numbness; fear and anxiety (but panic is not common); 14 helplessness and hopelessness; dissociation (feeling numb and ‘switched off’ emotionally); anger (at anybody – perpetrators, themselves and the authorities); anhedonia (loss of pleasure in doing that which was previously pleasurable); depression (a reaction to loss); guilt (e.g. at having survived if others died, and for being taken hostage);
• Social : withdrawal; irritability; avoidance (of reminders of the event).

Denial (i.e. a complete or partial failure to acknowledge what has really happened) has often been maligned as a response to extreme stress, but it has survival value (at least in the short term) by allowing the individual a delayed period during which he/she has time to adjust to a painful reality. For example, some hostages in the Moscow theatre siege initially believed that the appearance of the heavily armed Chechnyan rebels was part of the military musical performance. 15

Two extreme reactions have also been noted, namely, ‘frozen fright’ and ‘psychological infantilism’. 16 The former refers to a paralysis of the normal emotional reactivity of the individual, and the latter reaction is characterized by regressed behaviour such as clinging and excessive dependence on the captors.

Extended periods of captivity may also lead to ‘learned helplessness’ 17 in which individuals come to believe that no matter what they do to improve their circumstances, nothing is effective. This is reminiscent of the automaton-like state reported by concentration camp victims (‘walking corpses’). 18

Genuine psychopathology has also been noted. A follow-up study of ransom victims in Sardinia found that about 50% suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and about 30% experienced major depression. 19 The International Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders (ICD-10) 20 also recognizes the ‘Enduring personality change after a catastrophic experience’ (F62.0) as a possible chronic outcome after a hostage incident. This condition is characterized by:

• a hostile or mistrustful attitude;
• social withdrawal and estrangement;
• feelings of emptiness or hopelessness;
• a chronic feeling of being ‘on edge’ as if constantly threatened.

For the diagnosis to be made the symptoms must have endured for at least two years.

The severe and sustained impact on children is demonstrated by several abductions, including that of the children involved in the Chowchilla incident in San Francisco. Terr 21 confirmed, after that incident (in which 26 children and their driver were abducted and held in a vehicle underground) all the children displayed signs of PTSD, and some symptoms worsened over time (e.g. shame, pessimism and ‘death dreams’).

Denial, ‘frozen fright’, ‘psychological infantilism’ and ‘learned helplessness’ are not age-specific. Children may also display: school refusal, loss of interest in studies, dependent and regressed behaviour, preoccupation with the event, playing at being the ‘rescuer’, stubborn and oppositional behaviour, and risk-taking. The impact can be particularly serious if the children have been detained over an extended period and if the incident entailed a breach of trust. 22

Physical effects

Hostages are likely to have to endure, particularly during sustained periods of captivity, an exacerbation of pre-existent physical conditions, such as asthma and diabetes. Also, the detention itself may generate new conditions due to a lack of the basics of healthy living, such as a nutritious diet, warmth, exercise, fresh air and sleep.

At-risk and resilience factors

As yet there is no clear delineation of all factors which conduce to an adverse outcome following being taken hostage. However, there is evidence that women (especially younger women), more than men, are at risk of such an outcome, as are those of low educational level, and those exposed to an extended period of captivity. 23 An extensive review 24 also suggests that the following may contribute to a poorer post-release adjustment: passive-dependent traits; a belief that one's fate is exclusively in the hands of others; and a dogmatic-authoritarian attitude. Among children, younger age and pre-existent family problems, 15 and the loss of education and the need for post-incident medical care 25 may also contribute to adjustment problems.

In recent years, there has been a move in the trauma field from a ‘pathogenic’ model (which emphasizes illness and problems of adjustment) to a ‘resilience’ model (which emphasizes coping and ‘personal growth’ through adversity). While there are uncertainties as to how best to define and measure resilience, this perspective offers a more positive and optimistic approach. Certainly, it is worth emphasizing that many survivors do appear to cope over time, particularly if their family and social environment is supportive. Moreover, a number of high profile hostages (e.g. Terry Waite 8 ) have demonstrated how they have used their experiences constructively after their release. Adopting a ‘resilience’ approach to this kind of trauma may also enhance our understanding the best coping strategies for hostages during their captivity, and for the development of better post-incident care management for them.

Coping and survival strategies

Although it is usually regarded as an ‘effect’ of being taken hostage, the ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ will be regarded here as a means of coping and surviving since it certainly enables, on many occasions, hostages to deal with extreme and life-threatening circumstances. The term was first coined by criminologist, Nils Bejerot, to describe the unexpected reactions of hostages both during and after an armed bank raid in Sweden in 1973. 26 It was noted that, despite being subject to a life-threatening situation by the raiders, the hostages (three women and one man) forged positive relationships with their captors even to the point of helping to finance their defence after their apprehension. Conversely, the hostage-takers began to bond with their captives. This paradoxical reaction has been noted in many other incidents. The 10-year-old girl, Natascha Kampusch, who was held captive for eight years bonded with her abductor to such an extent that, on his suicide immediately after her escape, she blamed the police for his death and clearly grieved his death. 27

It is not clear why some individuals react in this fashion while others do not. Some merely seek to escape. For example, in Georgia, Peter Shaw, a British financial adviser, was detained in freezing underground conditions and regularly beaten. Fearing his imminent execution, he courageously sought escape. Others maintain hostility to their captors and refusal to accede to requests to convert to Islam (e.g. Yvonne Ridley, 28 a British journalist held for 11 days by the Taliban). However, certain conditions do increase the likelihood of the Stockholm reaction. These include:

• an extended and emotionally charged environment;
• an adverse environment shared by hostages and hostage-takers (e.g. poor diet and physical discomfort);
• when threats to life are not carried out (e.g. ‘mock executions’);
• when there has to be a marked dependence by the hostages on the hostage-takers for even the most basic needs;
• when there are opportunities for bonding between captives and their captors in circumstances in which the former have not been ‘dehumanized’. (Some hostage-takers aim to dehumanize hostages by hooding them, depriving them of their names, any identifying details and possessions, treating them as ‘animals’ and changing regularly their guards – as did Saddam Hussein with his ‘human shields’ in Kuwait.)

The disadvantages of this reaction are that the hostages after the incident may feel guilty and embarrassed about the way they have reacted. It means that the authorities cannot totally rely on hostages for accurate intelligence or expect them to contribute to any escape plan.

Although PTSD and the ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ reaction both reflect the severity of the experience, the former is more related to the level of physical violence displayed towards the hostage, whereas the latter reaction is correlated with the level of humiliation and deprivation. 21 For some individuals it may represent their hope for escape or a way of achieving a psychological separation between their previous ‘normal’ way of life and their new circumstances. The validity of the concept has been challenged by Namnyak et al. , 26 and they suggest that its features lack rigorous empirical evaluation, as well as validated diagnostic criteria, but owes much to the bias of personal and media reporting. Others, for example Cantor and Price, 29 view this concept through the prism of evolutionary theory in a fashion which casts light on this phenomenon as well as on other unequal power relationships, including ‘boy soldiers’ and their leaders, abused children and their parents, and cases of complex PTSD.

Other individual methods of coping with extended captivity include: use of distraction (e.g. mental arithmetic, reading and fantasy); regular discipline (e.g. with regard to personal hygiene and exercise); taking one day at a time; and trying to find something positive in the situation (e.g. Terry Waite 8 began preparing in his mind his autobiography). Jacobsen describes how a group of adolescents, following a skyjacking, viewed their experience initially with a sense of excitement and adventure and were particularly helpful to young mothers with children on the aircraft. 30

Issues which require further research

There are extensive but important gaps in the literature. For example, in relation to attachment theory, it is not clear whether children in particular are affected principally by the emotional stimulation or drive reduction, as the Stockholm Syndrome develops. What underpins this bonding, for different individuals in different crises, has yet to be determined. It is also unclear to what extent the apparent motives of the perpetrators influences the bonding between captor and captive (although it can be difficult to identify the true motives of, for example, terrorists who take hostages). We also need to know more about the interaction between terrorists (who characteristically create a ‘public’ event) and other external agencies, such as the authorities and the media, and the terrorists themselves whose motives, level of determination etc may not be identical. 31 With regard to psychological interventions, particularly in the case of children, we also lack much clarity.

This is a complex and delicate area of research; perpetrators may be inaccessible or unreliable witnesses, and there is the omnipresent risk of re-traumatizing survivors through rehearsal of deeply disturbing experiences. Our current database is however too narrow to fashion a better understanding of such events and how to devise strategies and associated training to deal with them.

This review is inevitably constrained by word length, and it is confined to articles cast in English. It is not able to address the impact of hostage-taking and kidnapping on the families of the victims or on those, such as therapists and police family liaison officers who have to respond to the psychological aftermath of such incidents. This review has however highlighted key issues relating to the motives underlying crimes of this kind and how individuals cope during them and subsequently react. While survivors of such experiences commonly demonstrate remarkable resilience, there is no doubt that those experiences can produce a legacy of chronic emotional disturbance and compromised relationships.

DECLARATIONS —

Competing interests DAA is a part-time police consultant, paid by honorarium to the Robert Gordon University, and an unpaid trainer in hostage negotiation at the Scottish Police College

Funding None

Ethical approval Not applicable

Guarantor DAA

Contributorship Both authors contributed equally with regard to the literature search and the drafting of the article

Acknowledgements

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kidnapping , criminal offense consisting of the unlawful taking and carrying away of a person by force or fraud or the unlawful seizure and detention of a person against his will. The principal motives for kidnapping are to subject the victim to some form of involuntary servitude, to expose him to the commission of some further criminal act against his person, or to obtain ransom for his safe release. More recently, kidnapping for the purpose of extortion has become a tactic of political revolutionaries or terrorists seeking concessions from a government. In all countries it is considered a grave offense punishable by a long prison sentence or death.

In earlier times kidnapping meant carrying a person away to another country for involuntary servitude. It also referred to the practices of impressing males into military service (also known as crimping ) by fraudulent inducement or force and of shanghaiing merchant seamen in port cities.

Abducting young women and selling them for purposes of concubinage or prostitution has also been characterized as a form of kidnapping. In current statutes this is often described as abduction and ordinarily includes the taking or detention of a girl under a designated age for purposes of marriage. In some countries the alienation of a husband from his wife by another woman who entices him away is also delineated as a criminal offense within the meaning of abduction.

Modern kidnapping laws are drawn so as to proscribe the offense of taking a person with the object of extorting large amounts of ransom money or other concessions for his safe return. This became common in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s. The kidnapping in 1932 of the infant son of the internationally known American aviator Charles A. Lindbergh spurred legislation imposing the death penalty for transporting a kidnapped victim across a state line.

In most countries, the offense of kidnapping includes false imprisonment. False imprisonment aggravated by the carrying of the person to some other place is considered a kidnapping, thus inviting a more severe penalty.

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Child Kidnapping in the 21st Century

Introduction, the rate of child abduction by strangers, the reasons for the decline in child abduction by strangers, technology has increased the risk of child abduction, works cited.

Child kidnapping is a global issue that affects countries all over the world. It can be defined as a terrifying crime involving the illegal or unauthorized removal of a child from their parents or guardians (Hilson 91). From a legal perspective, child kidnapping is a criminal act of unjustly detaining and concealing a child. It occurs for various reasons and has serious consequences for both the child and the parents. In the U.S., statistics show that the number of child abductions is declining due to the involvement of relevant stakeholders in finding a solution (Hilson 97). However, technology is promoting child abduction because it is used to achieve the objectives of kidnappers. For example, child abductors use social media platforms to communicate with the victims. Although child kidnapping still exists in society, the number has been declining because of the stringent measures conducted by the government and other related agencies.

There has been a decline in child abduction cases in the U.S. over the past ten years. According to Hilson, about 115 children are abducted by strangers every year in the U.S. (95). However, there has been a decline in the number of children being kidnapped by strangers. FBI claims that less than 350 children abducted by strangers have been reported annually since 2010 (Hilson 97). The disappearance of children in the U.S. is not unheard of, and it is an issue that police and other related authorities are working hard to solve. The authorities are working to conceal all the gaps previously used by kidnappers to stop any instance of kidnapping.

The U.S. government has intensified awareness programs to educate parents and guardians on preventing child abduction by strangers. Child abductors usually look like everyday people in society. The abductors take advantage of their difficulty being noticed to carry out their plan. Duggan says, “the woman in the bus depot, the perpetrator, was amiable and chatty, Eleanor Williams tearfully told the police.” The perpetrator who took away Eleanor Williams presented herself as friendly. Based on this, parents are often advised to tell their children not to talk to people they do not know. Anytime they are approached by a stranger, a child should immediately check with a parent or trusted friend. Therefore, parents and guardians are being advised to prevent child abduction by telling their children to refrain from talking to strangers.

The educators have also played a role in the eradication of child kidnapping. Over the past few decades, various organizations have developed initiatives to inform educators that they are an important asset in eliminating the abduction of children (Stark 57). Educators are trained to inform students on prevention measures and promote children’s safety, especially in school. For instance, schools were identified as a target for the mass abduction of children. As a result, educators have been informed to increase the safety of children when in school. One of the measures adopted to improve the safety of children in school is supervision (Stark 57). When in school, there is always someone watching over the children. Thus, educators have joined hands in the fight against children abduction.

The office of Children’s Issues has continued to offer services to help in preventing child abduction cases by partnering with parents and other stakeholders. They work with parents, private firms, and government agencies in the U.S. to prevent and resolve abduction (Collins 30). The office has responded to thousands of inquiries around child abduction, abduction prevention techniques, and many more. Parents learn that individuals who prey on children would wait for an opportunity alone through the inquiries. Children should not be left alone outside their homes (Collins 26). Therefore, the office has played an integral role in the decline in child abduction cases by creating awareness of prevention strategies.

Over the past few years, the U.S. has increased police deployment in their cities to prevent crime. According to Statista, the number of full-time law enforcement officers in the U.S. was 626,942 and 696,644 in 2013 and 2020, respectively. The main intention for adding more law enforcement officers was to increase surveillance and quick response to a crime. As a result, it was determined that crime decreased significantly on high-alert days. This means that the criminals like those conducting child abduction fear the presence of police in a given area. With the high presence of police in an area, the kidnappers find it hard to conduct their operations. Therefore, based on the high number of police on patrols, crimes such as child kidnapping have been reduced significantly.

Child kidnapping has declined because of the attention given to it by law enforcers. It is a serious crime that carries severe penalties such as hefty fines and lengthy jail terms for convicted individuals. Kidnapping is classified as a felony offense in all states in the U.S. (Collins 32). However, each state has varying degrees of felonies with varied sentences associated with them. More severe punishments are often imposed when the victim is a kid or has been harmed, sexually abused, or in danger. The attention attached to kidnapping has played a role in reducing the crime because they fear being arrested and convicted. Thus, anyone who thinks of kidnapping must be prepared for severe penalties.

An individual convicted of kidnapping can be imprisoned, fined, or placed on probation. First, abduction verdicts could lead to lengthy jail terms or even life sentences in some circumstances and regions. Punishment of 20 years or more is given for first-degree and a minimum of five years or more for second-degree abduction (Phenix 89). Second, in addition to prison sentences, abduction convictions incur large fines. Convictions for severe kidnapping could lead to $50,000 or more fines, whereas prosecutions for simple kidnapping could lead to $10,000 or more (Phenix 94). Third, a person convicted of abduction may also be sentenced to probation. The three stringent penalties may be responsible for a decline in child kidnapping.

The case of Gloria Williams is crucial when talking about the adverse effect of engaging in the kidnapping. According to Sanchez, “Gloria Williams, who nearly two decades ago took a baby girl from a Florida hospital and raised the child as her own, was sentenced Friday to 18 years in prison for kidnapping.” The sentence includes a five-year concurrent sentence for custodial interference added pain to the convict. In summation, Gloria William must serve about 23 years in prison. The conviction sends a strong message to kidnappers in the U.S. and across the globe that the venture has serious penalties. Individual thinking to continue or start the crime understands the repercussions involved when convicted. Therefore, the conviction might have scared some individuals from undertaking the crime.

The coordination of law enforcers and commitment has helped reduce the cases of abductions. When a local law enforcement emergency communications center receives a report about a kidnapped child, the operator who answers the call should implement the agency’s missing children policy and protocols and gather information as feasible (Phenix 90). In all circumstances, an officer or deputy should be dispatched promptly to take the report in person from the parent who has been left behind. In some cases, such as when a child kidnapping is underway, an investigator will begin taking action while the initial responding officer is on their way to the complaint (Phenix 89). The procedure and integration of operations by responsible agencies have assisted in dealing with abduction cases.

Social media is being used as a platform of operation for child abductors. When compared to alternative approaches, such as a physical meeting, possible child abductors use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms to get access to and lure youngsters. In some cases, a child is lured digitally to interact with an abductor in vivo, resulting in their abduction contrary to their will (Willemo 29). In addition, because the Internet is available to individuals of all ages, possible abductors may mislead children by impersonating someone their age and building a false trust bond. Although most social media and social networking websites and applications have a stated minimum age of 13, young minors can and regularly have options to gain access.

The case of a Tennessee man charged with kidnapping a girl after social media exchange is a good example of using social media by kidnappers to accomplish their goals. As shown in the case, the man conversed with the girl through social media (Rogers). Social media provides the best platform for kidnappers and other criminals to lay traps for their victims. It seems the man portrayed himself as friendly to the girl through social media to build trust. This explains why he effectively convinced the girl to leave with him. According to the authorities, the girl has communicated with the man for a long (Rogers). Therefore, with social media, children are not safe from kidnappers and other criminal elements.

Kidnappers have resulted in the use of drones to track and kidnap children. One of the key uses of drone technology is tracking. Criminals have been trapped into this to facilitate their kidnapping operations. For example, there is a case of Mennonite imposters who used drones to track children in attempted kidnappings (Rohrlich). In this case, it is stated that the imposters tracked the movement of five children for a kidnapping coup. With the use of drone technology, a criminal can effectively monitor the movement of their victims and strike when there is an opportunity. Drone technology gives them the ability to operate without being watched. As a result, children are no longer safe because they can be watched and kidnapped.

Kidnappers use transport technology as a pathway to and from crime. Most of the kidnappings are usually conducted using a vehicle. The existence of armored vehicles has enhanced criminal activities in society (McGuire and Thomas 290). These types of vehicles increase an individual’s morale in committing a crime because of the perception of being immune to any bullet in case of a shoot-out. In addition, kidnappers use highly mechanized vehicles because of their speed and efficiency when escaping after conducting their activities. With these vehicles, the criminals believe they can get away after a crime. Therefore, armored and advanced vehicles can also facilitate criminal activities.

Moreover, using electronic jammers to thwart tracking by criminals makes their operations successful and affects victims’ security. A GPS jammer is a type of signal jammer that works by interfering with the signals sent by GPS devices to satellites. GPS blocking works by broadcasting louder signals on the same frequency as GPS devices (McGuire and Thomas 290). GPS jammers can overcrowd the frequency and overpower GPS signals, preventing GPS systems from detecting the correct signals. Based on this, the police cannot track the vehicle used to commit the crime. This means that a kidnapper can get away after committing their crime (McGuire and Thomas 298). Therefore, children are unsafe because they can be abducted without trace electronic jammers.

Despite the fact that technology has increased criminal activities, there are several examples of how it can help crime prevention. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) is one of the technologies that can increase the security of a given area (McGuire and Thomas 295). It is intended to strengthen formal monitoring by making it easier for police or other organizations to monitor residents’ activities, including potential offenders. In addition, CCTV is intended to dissuade illegal behavior by increasing the danger of detection. Using this technology, police officers and other individuals can identify suspicious individuals prior to committing a crime. Thus, CCTV technology can be used to prevent crime.

Social media can also be used as a tool for protecting children from criminals. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and many others can be used to share important information about criminals as well as the tactics they use (Willemo 29). For example, a picture of a criminal can be circulated through social media. The police can also use the platform to educate the public on preventing crimes such as children abduction. Many people are likely to benefit and apply the strategies due to the large number of social media users across the globe. There are a good number of children using Facebook and other platforms to communicate with their friends (Willemo 29). These children are likely to learn the strategies kidnappers use from educative posts and develop a counter mechanism. As a result, criminals would not succeed in carrying out their plans with an informed public.

Child kidnapping by strangers is a traumatizing event because of the panic it causes victims, police, and the general public. As a result, it has attracted the attention of various stakeholders, including parents, educators, government agencies, and many others. In the U.S., the stakeholders working together have contributed to the steady decline of child kidnapping. The U.S. government and other agencies educate the parents and teachers to help prevent child abduction. However, technology has played a major role in enhancing child kidnapping. For example, child abductors use social media to communicate with children to lay their traps. Thus, child abduction has gained the attention of many across the globe because of its adverse impact on victims and the entire society.

Collins, Tara M. “A Child’s Right to Participate: Implications for International Child Protection.” The International Journal of Human Rights, vol. 21, no. 1, 2017, pp. 14-46.

Duggan, Paul. “ Almost 35 Years Ago, She Let a Stranger Hold Her Newborn. It Has Haunted Her Ever Since .” Washington Post , 2018, Web.

Hilson, M. (2021). “The Kind of Person Who Would Mess with A Kid: Cultural Fantasies of Stranger-Danger and AM Homes. Looking for Johnny.” The Comparatist , vol. 45, no. 1, pp. 90-105.

McGuire, M. R., and Thomas J. Holt, editors. The Routledge Handbook of Technology, Crime, And Justice . Taylor & Francis, 2017.

Phenix, Amy, et al. Static-99R Coding Rules, Revised-2016 . In-Press Version, 2017.

Rogers, Steve. “Tennessee Man Charged with Kidnapping Girl after Social Media Exchange.” ABC 36 News , 2021, Web.

Rohrlich, Justin. “Mennonite Imposters Used Drones to Track and Kidnap Children.” Quartz , 2020, Web.

Sanchez, Ray Cnn. “Gloria Williams Sentenced to 18 Years for Kidnapping Baby Girl.” CNN , 2018, Web.

Stark, Barbara. International Family Law: An Introduction . Routledge, 2017. Ashgate E-book, Web.

Statista. “Number of Law Enforcement Officers U.S. 2004–2020.” Statista , 2021, Web.

Willemo, Jacob. “Trends and Developments in the Malicious Use of Social Media.” Edited by Sebastian Bay, Monika Hanley, Rueban Manokara, and Baris Kirdemir, The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, 2019.

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The Kidnapping I Can’t Escape

Fifty years ago, my father’s friend was taken at gunpoint on Long Island. Then he went on with his life — and that’s the part that haunts me.

Jack Teich in the driveway of his home in Westchester County, N.Y., in June. Credit... Dina Litovsky for The New York Times

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By Taffy Brodesser-Akner

Taffy Brodesser-Akner is a staff writer for the magazine. The kidnapping that begins her new novel, “Long Island Compromise,” was inspired by the Jack Teich kidnapping in 1974.

• Published July 7, 2024 Updated July 29, 2024

On Nov. 12, 1974, my father’s childhood friend Jack Teich was kidnapped out of his driveway in the nicest part of the nicest part of Long Island. He was arriving home from work at Acme Steel Partition and Door, the steel-fabrication company that his family owned in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. It was 6:40 p.m., and it was raining. He pulled up to the house and killed the engine of his Lincoln coupe but saw that the white exterior of the garage door still glowed even though he had turned his high beams off. He twisted around in the driver’s seat and saw another car in the driveway, its headlights blinding him.

Listen to this article with reporter commentary

“Excuse me,” a man called. He was now outside the car, but Jack could see him only in silhouette because of how bright the headlights were. “You know how to get to Northern Boulevard?”

Jack stepped out of his car. He was surprised. His street was so far off the commuter path that it would be hard to get lost and end up there looking for Northern Boulevard. In fact, when Jack saw headlights in his rearview mirror as he approached the house that night, he thought how strange and rare it was to be on that same road with anyone.

“Excuse me?” Jack asked.

But now the man was approaching. As he grew closer, Jack saw that he was wearing a ski mask and holding a long-barrel silver pistol. That’s when he also saw a second man, taller, this one holding a shotgun and also wearing a ski mask.

“You’re coming with us,” the first man said. “Get over here or we’re going to blow your head off!”

Jack froze for a moment. He considered running behind the house, into the thicket of trees there, but he thought about his wife, Janet, and his two small sons, 6-year-old Marc and 2-year-old Michael, who were in the house right then, how running might put them in danger.

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‘Bride kidnapping’ haunts rural Kyrgyzstan, causing young women to flee their homeland

Associate Professor, Utah State University

Professor, Penn State

Disclosure statement

Guangqing Chi receives funding from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and Multistate Research Project.

Erin Hofmann does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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There are many types of forced marriage in this world, but perhaps the most dramatic is marriage by abduction, or bride kidnapping .

Bride kidnapping is common in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, the Caucasus and Central Asia. In rural Kyrgyzstan, where over 60% of the country’s population lives, surveys suggests 1 in 3 marriages begins with a kidnapping .

There, bride kidnapping is known as “ala kachuu,” which translates as “to take and run away.” It became illegal in 1994 , but the practice continues today, especially in rural areas.

And our research on labor migration in the country suggests bride kidnapping may push young women to leave their rural communities to avoid forced marriage.

What is bride kidnapping?

Kyrgyzstan, a Central Asian country of 6.5 million, is one of the world’s epicenters of marriage by abduction.

A typical bride kidnapping occurs in a public place. A group of young men locates the young woman that one has chosen for his wife – whom he may know, but perhaps not well – and carries her, screaming and struggling, into a waiting car.

The kidnapping victim is taken to the groom’s family home, where the women of the family attempt to talk her into consenting to the marriage. At this stage, some victims are rescued by their father or other male relatives. More often, though, having been kidnapped is so shameful that the victim or her family agrees to marriage rather than risk the stigma of being a “used” woman.

Sometimes, grooms use rape or other physical violence to coerce women to consent to marriage – though that’s not the norm.

Many Kyrgyz people, especially those in older generations, still see bride kidnapping as a harmless tradition, according to our interviews.

“It’s a very old custom,” a 60-year-old woman told us. “Even I was married that way, and I’m happy with my family life. My husband never beat me, and everything turned out well.”

People younger than 50 are more likely to reject “ala kachuu,” our research shows, especially when the couple are complete strangers. But they also believe that bride kidnapping is a thing of the past, and that such events today are “pretend” – staged kidnappings.

Several Kyrgyz women confirmed for us that they had agreed to be kidnapped before marriage, to uphold a tradition they see as romantic.

But some kidnappings in Kyrgyzstan are clearly nonconsensual. Since 2018 at least two women, Aizada Kanatbekova and Burulai Turdaaly Kyzy , were killed by their kidnappers when they attempted to resist the marriage.

Both murders spawned protests nationally and in their hometowns , some of the largest rallies against bride kidnapping seen in Kyrgyzstan since visible public opposition began in the 1990s.

Migrating to ‘escape’

Kyrgyz women’s rights groups say the line between “pretend” and “real” kidnappings is fuzzy, because a woman can’t truly consent to a kidnapping if she knows her boyfriend can easily disregard her wishes.

The United Nations considers any kind of forced marriage to be a human rights violation . About 15.4 million people worldwide are wed without giving their free, full and informed consent, according to a 2016 International Labour Organization estimate .

A growing body of research supports the argument that “ala kachuu” is not a harmless national tradition in Kyrgyzstan.

For example, survey data from Kyrgyzstan finds that the birth weights of the first children born to mothers who married by kidnapping are significantly lower than those of other first-borns, likely because of higher stress levels among kidnapped mothers.

In Alay district, a rural region of southern Kyrgyzstan, we found that the young adult daughters of parents in a kidnapping-based marriage were 50% more likely to migrate for work, both within Kyrgyzstan and internationally. Our regression analysis controlled for other factors that could push young women to migrate, such as household size, education and wealth.

Survey questions generally cannot distinguish between “pretend” and “real” bride kidnappings, so these findings may understate the negative effects of forced marriage on infant health and migration.

Based on this research, we believe Kyrgyz women use migration to escape the possibility of being kidnapped themselves.

Why women leave Kyrgyzstan

In rural Kyrgyzstan, a young woman’s chances of avoiding a forced marriage depend largely on her parents’ willingness to intervene on her behalf after kidnapping. A girl from a family that began with a bride kidnapping can reasonably surmise that her parents are unlikely to help her.

And since Kyrgyzstan has Central Asia’s highest rates of women’s labor emigration – women make up [40% of all Kyrgyz migrants in Russia], a much higher share than those from neighboring Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – migration would be a socially acceptable way to move somewhere where kidnapping is rare.

Other researchers have hypothesized that Kyrgyz women migrate at such high rates because of their Russian language proficiency and Kyrgyzstan’s less restrictive gender norms .

But bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan seems to play at least as critical a role in this trend. Living in a household headed by a kidnapping-based couple is one of the strongest predictors of women’s migration, our research found. Household size and whether the family owns land are other main factors.

No one we interviewed in Kyrgyzstan mentioned that young women migrated to avoid a forced marriage, nor have we seen this argument made by other academics or the Kyrgyz media.

However, we did find that people commonly described women’s migration in terms of “escape.”

Explaining why his daughter moved to Russia after separating from her abusive husband who married her through kidnapping, one father told us, “A new place and a new life were what she needed.”

Men’s migration, in contrast, is usually spoken of in economic terms.

Women’s migration plays an important economic role in Kyrgyzstan, and many other countries, too. But our research suggests it can be an escape route for women who don’t want to follow their mothers into a forced marriage.

[ You’re smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversation’s authors and editors. You can read us daily by subscribing to our newsletter .]

• Gender inequality
• Forced marriage
• Central Asia
• Women's rights

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An Exploratory Study on Kidnapping as an Emerging Crime in Nigeria

• First Online: 27 August 2021

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• Alaba M. Oludare 3 ,
• Ifeoma E. Okoye 4 &
• Lucy K. Tsado 5  

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• The original version of this chapter was revised. The correction to this chapter can be found at https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-71024-8_18

This chapter traces the history of kidnapping as a precursor to the recent spike in violent crimes in Nigeria. The crime of kidnapping is not a new crime in human history. Many nations have experienced and dealt with this crime before the recent spike in Nigeria. The purpose of this chapter is to study the crime of kidnapping in Nigeria and other countries and to examine the responses and lessons learned that may be adopted for reducing kidnapping in Nigeria. Using the rational choice and strain theories as the criminological framework for understanding kidnapping in present-day Nigeria, the chapter explores the psychological aspects of the crime. This chapter also presents statistics from SBM Intel, a research and communications consulting firm that collects and analyses data to influence change in Africa. The chapter further sheds light into how Nigeria has been dealing with the crime of kidnapping and concludes with policy implications and recommendations.

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The original chapter was inadvertently published with incorrect affiliation of one of the authors ‘Ifeoma E. Okoye’. The affiliation has been corrected in the chapter as below:

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Oludare, A.M., Okoye, I.E., Tsado, L.K. (2021). An Exploratory Study on Kidnapping as an Emerging Crime in Nigeria. In: Chan, H.C.(., Adjorlolo, S. (eds) Crime, Mental Health and the Criminal Justice System in Africa. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-71024-8_5

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