ABSTRACT

Crisis A crisis is any situation in which a person’s ability to cope is exceeded.

The Crisis State Often, the event that triggers a crisis state appears, to the negotiator, to be a minor occurrence. To the subject, however, that minor occurrence is often the final problem that he can no longer bear. The event becomes the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back. Some examples are listed below to illustrate the point:

■ A man shot and killed his neighbor because he believed his neighbor was stealing steaks off his barbecue grill. He then committed suicide.