Luck favors the prepared.
Luck favors the prepared - Welcome to the Abduction Series, Justin Shanken goes in-depth on the stages of abduction detailing out the suggested best steps for survival. This is a multi-part series, so hang on for the ride and we hope you enjoy & learn from.
- Surviving Abduction
- Travelling & Abduction
- During Abduction
- You've Been Abducted
- What's Your Status?
- Possibility of Escape or Rescue
Your chances of being kidnapped or abducted in North America are relatively small, but it can and does happen in every country, in every region of the world every day. | It’s incredibly important to attempt to understand who has taken you and try to decipher their motivation. |
Stranger danger is yet another important topic in the series of things we discuss with our families and more importantly our children. However, we don’t discuss what to do if said stranger takes us. We as adults don’t have a plan for if and when it happens to us.
Understand the Threat. There is a difference between abduction and kidnapping. To abduct someone is to take you away against your will, by force or deceitful means. The motive of the abductor is a mystery that is discovered only after the victim (you) are released. A kidnapping involves someone taking you against your will. However, with the purpose of holding you as a hostage to be used as a negotiating or bargaining tool.
It’s incredibly important to attempt to understand who has taken you and try to decipher their motivation of why. Is this an abduction or a kidnapping? Is this happening to me for political, criminal or sexual reasons?
It’s incredibly important to attempt to understand who has taken you and try to decipher their motivation of why. Is this an abduction or a kidnapping? Is this happening to me for political, criminal or sexual reasons?
Know What’s Going on Around You. Situational awareness is knowing what’s going on around you, and what your series of responses would be if your environment were to change suddenly. It is a decision-making process that must remain cool, calm, collective and timely. During my time in the Middle East, I was invited to a private party which I had plans to also meet one of my contacts. When I entered the penthouse apartment, I immediately noticed a large man providing security at the front door which was thick and well made. After entering, I walked down a long hallway which seemed to be one way in and one way out making me uneasy. The apartment was made of all cinder blocks with large tiled flooring. I usually would have checked the location out before a meeting, but my contact was very stable, and I never had a previous cause for concern. The moment the door opened the noise from the music was deafening, and I quickly found myself the only foreigner in the place.
Situational Awareness. The best defense against being abducted is to simply not get taken in the first place. To do this requires situational awareness. Situational awareness is a skill that requires training just like any other. If my career has taught me nothing else, it’s situational awareness. Perfect situational awareness requires knowledge, preparation, and discipline.
I was carrying a pistol at the time, but the last thing I needed to do was pull out a weapon causing a panic... | I gained a bit of attention simply being there, but it died down relatively quickly. I was seen as an oddity but harmless which was exactly what I wanted. Being different can get some attention from the ladies, in fact, several women approached me trying to make conversation and honestly kept interrupting my job. |
As I started to look around the room, I notice the DJ at the party seemed upset. I quickly realized the woman who was hitting on me was his girlfriend. He aggressively came toward me gathering his buddies. I still don’t know what he was saying in Arabic, but I could tell from his tone he was pissed. Realizing this was turning into a dangerous situation, it was time to go. I quickly and politely got up and noticed that getting to the front door though the crowd and the DJ’s buddies weren't an option. I was carrying a pistol at the time, but the last thing I needed to do was pull out a weapon causing a panic. I quickly stepped out onto the concrete patio and looked down. Luckily I was only on the second story, so I played drunk, hopped over the railing, and dropped down into the dirt parking lot. In all the commotion my situational awareness allowed me to slip out unharmed and relatively unnoticed. Able to fight another day.
Practice Being Aware. Conditioning the brain to become more aware of its surroundings is an absolute necessity. For some people, this comes more naturally. Others struggle with this cognitive skill, and in the era of walking and driving with cell phones, there are others who are completely dead to the word around them. Like any other skill, conditioning the brain takes practice. Start with something simple. When walking into a building or room, take a moment to recognize mentally all the exits (not just the door you entered in through). Is there a fire escape outside the window? How many floors high are we? Should I use the exit through the kitchen of a restaurant? Recognizing the fastest escape route in a crowded room can save your life. You never know when you need to flee from a fire, kidnapper, active shooter or crazy ex (we all have them).
Identify Weapons for Defense. The next cognitive exercise would be identifying a weapon for defense. Improvised weapons are everywhere and all around. Recognizing where to quickly find the tools to fend off attackers or an abductor could save your life. Jackets, pens, and belts are all very commonly carried items that can also be used as weapons. Identify where to find a firearm. Did one of the cars outside have a National Rifle Association (NRA), an ex-military, or hunting sticker on the windshield? What are the chances a gun is inside that vehicle?
Look for Safety. It’s equally important to identify where to find protection or safety. Understanding the difference between cover and concealment is extremely crucial. Cover provides you some protection against projectiles such as bullets. | “The trick is to identify anomalies or something that does not look right” |
Concealment is somewhere to hide but will not protect you from an explosion or bullets. Always choose cover over concealment if given the opportunity. With that in mind where would you go if an active shooter came into your office space? Where would you go if kidnappers were shooting on the open street?
Analyze the People Around You. Lastly, and equally important, who are the people around you and what are they doing? We all like to people watch, and situational awareness is just capitalizing on that skill. The trick is to identify anomalies or something that does not look right. My job throughout college was working loss prevention for a major retail chain. I would walk around in plain clothes on the floor and in a moment quickly assess the people around me and their likelihood to shoplift. As I immersed myself into each area, I would notice things that didn’t fit. A man in the woman’s underwear or children’s department. It could be legitimate or not. Someone with two computers in their shopping cart. Not very often do we buy two at one time. I would recognize body language. The way people carry themselves or the items in their hands. All were hints to their intent that day. Applying this to abduction, if I notice a group of people that are “hanging” out I may question why they’re doing it there? Are they wearing over-sized jackets on a warm day? Could they be concealing a weapon? Is the location a choke point or a one way in one way out location?
Let’s Recap. So situational awareness recap: I’ve walked into a busy restaurant with my date. Where are my exits? Where should I sit at the table to have a better view of the room? Who are the people around me? Is there anyone sitting but not eating? What possible weapons do I have available to me in a worst case scenario? If someone were to take my date what would my response be? All things to consider.
Continue on to Post #2
Contest Time! Follow the steps below: 1) In the comment section below, tell us a time in your life of how you've avoided danger by using Situation Awareness 2) Share with 5 friends on Facebook or Instagram 3) Instagram or Tweet us a tactical or adventure picture with two hashtags #MyClickArmoryStory and #ClickArmorySurvival Prize: PROPPER Foldable Backpack (with free shipping!) All winners announced at the end of the 5 part series - in the meantime share with your friends if you liked the article, the more shares the more chance of you winning! |