Law enforcement negotiators almost daily face the type of situation that most of us hope we can avoid--a standoff with a person, or group of persons who threaten to harm or kill themselves or another person. The practice of crisis/hostage negotiation is one that most police regard as perhaps their most invaluable nonlethal weapon in combating criminal and terrorist acts. And data from the FBI's hostage negotiation databases attests to the significant value of negotiation in peacefully resolving barricade standoffs.

Yet, much is still unknown about the actual communicative dynamics of these negotiations. Historically, meaningful scientific-based knowledge about how language and behaviour function during the course of negotiations has been mostly absent. This volume addresses these shortcomings by serving as a forum for the research and practical insights of a cohort of internationally recognised experts of crisis negotiation.