In our training programs which deal with hijack prevention a great deal of time is spent on teaching participants on how to become AWARE.

Crucial to the whole skill acquisition is the ability to read body language.

The following information, while not intended to be exhaustive or definitive , will get most persons on the way to improving their chances of preventing a hijacking.

So as you look to the future it is going to require that you practice, practice, practice observing people. Remember, reading body language needs to be done carefully. Unlike verbal communication, body language can be rather abstract.

You already have the intuitive skills to learn the art of reading body language. Now you must become more conscious of the subtle signs people in general ( think in this context hijackers) give off.

Remember reading body language is a matter of paying attention.

    • According to Albert Mehrabian a noted Psychologist
      • 7% is conveyed by the words
      • 38% by the vocal tones, and
      • 55% by facial and body expression

Reading body language is an important skill

Human communication consists of 7% words and 93% body language, tone of voice and facial expressions. Yet many of us rely on words alone and that usually gets us in trouble. If words are only 7% of the communication process and we are not very good at reading body language, then we are missing a majority of the message that is being conveyed. In high stress situations such as aggressive or violent incidents, it is imperative that we read an aggressor’s body language so we can talk them out of becoming violent and in a hijacking identify the intentions prior to them impacting on us .

Knowledge of body language will help literally posture ourselves in a more powerful position in order to be more effective at defusing potentially dangerous situations.

Since a substantial number of hijackings occur at intersections this is an area which we should be particularly skilled at reading body language.

The following tips may assist us in discerning some of the more obvious facets of body language.

There are four major areas of body language you need to observe.

1.    Eye Contact and Brow Movement
2.    Facial Gestures
3.    Torso and Arm Behaviour
4.    Leg Activity

Eye Contact and Brow Movement

Now let’s take a look at positive and negative indicators:

Positive Behaviours
    Direct Eye Contact — Interested, likes you
    Smiling Eyes — Is comfortable
    Relaxed Brow — Again comfortable

Negative Behaviours
    Limited or No Eye Contact — Lying, uninterested, too confined, uncomfortable, distraction
    Tension in Brow — Confusion, tension, fear

There may be several reasons why someone is unable to hold eye contact. Now, I’m not talking about staring at someone either. Notice when you are interested how much eye contact you give and why you look away. It can simply be that you are distracted for example a bird flies by and catches your eye. When people are not able to tell you their honest feelings they most often cannot hold eye contact. Another reason for loosing someone’s eye contact is when you step into someone’s personal space (and each of us have a different size boundary); their natural sign is to look away. Check it out for yourself. Test some people (make sure you know them fairly well, you don’t want to get hit on the head for invading personal space): walk toward your friend and see how close you can get before their eyes dart away. Also note that the same person has different boundaries for different people, thus the tighter your friendship usually the closer you are able to get.

You have it in you to recognize these signs easily.

Facial Gestures
Facial Gestures are the second part of body language to read. The most important part of facial gestures is the mouth. Upward turns in the corner of the mouth are often positive signs and downward turns or flat lines demonstrate negative behaviour. Observe the person’s lips to see if they are pressed together or relaxed and comfortable. Do they show signs of happiness or signs of discontentment?

The most important thing to understand about reading facial behaviour is that we all have the ability. Most people however never pay close attention to human tendencies and activities. Success in areas such as sales requires you to observe human behaviour.

Arm and Torso Movements
The third important factor in reading human body language is monitoring arm and torso movements. Simple rule to remember is: "Closed-off posture usually means close-minded attitude and open posture means exactly what the name eludes, open or willing attitude." I know you are thinking, "Okay, Mr. Genius now that you have told me the obvious what does that mean?"

Closed-Off Posture
    Shoulders hunched forward — lacking interest or feeling inferior
    Rigid Body Posture — anxious, uptight
    Crossed arms — can be just cold or protecting the body
    Tapping Fingers — agitated, anxious, bored
    Fidgeting with hands or objects (i.e., pen) — bored or has something to say

Open Posture
    Leaning forward — interested
    Fingers Interlocked placed behind the head leaving elbows open and armpits exposed — very open to ideas, comfortable
    Mirroring you — likes you and wants to be friendly
    Still — more interested in what you are saying than anything

Leg Activity
The fourth factor to observe is leg activity. Again this is another area, which is relatively easy to observe once you know what to monitor. Usually negative behaviour is observed through fidgety leg movements. There is no direct correlation between crossed and uncrossed legs. However, if you notice a person has their legs crossed and one of them is bouncing on the other, it probably is anxiety.

Leg activity needs to be observed simultaneously with arm position. I

Your success depends upon how well you can modify your personal behaviour to adapt to situations.
If you notice a person is closed-down you need to focus on one thing. What do you need to do to increase the person’s comfort zone? ( in a hijacking — your own)

So as you look to the future it is going to require that you practice, practice, practice observing people. Remember, reading body language needs to be done carefully. Unlike verbal communication, body language can be rather abstract.

You already have the intuitive skills to learn the art of reading body language. Now you must become more conscious of the subtle signs people give off

 


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