Description:

Title: Blaming the Victim: Hostage Deservingness and the Politics of Hostage Recovery

Abstract: Hostage taking is a thorny problem for foreign policy and international security. Around the world, thousands of people are kidnapped every year, calling into question their governments’ ability to protect them. Such hostage crises put leaders in a terrible bind: Leaders may refuse hostage takers’ demands and suffer the political consequences of sacrificing victims’ lives; or they may risk blood and treasure to recover captives, facing backlash for failure or "bad" deals. Despite this pervasive dilemma, limited scholarship has explored hostage taking and the politics thereof. In this talk, Gilbert will draw from her research exploring the political dynamics of hostage recovery. She and her colleagues argue that the public sees hostage recovery as government assistance that some—but not all—victims deserve. When hostages’ circumstances of capture suggest that they were personally responsible for putting themselves in danger, the public will be less likely to support government efforts to bring them home—especially when recovery is costly. The researchers test their theory using an experiment embedded in a large national survey of Americans and 22 interviews with senior hostage recovery personnel. Across their tests, they find robust evidence that beliefs about deservingness and cost shape public opinion on hostage recovery. Moreover, policymakers are similarly susceptible to notions of deservingness, which affects the recovery process, from internal debate among policymakers to public messaging.

By Danielle Gilbert, Assistant Professor of Political Science and IPR Associate

This event is part of the Fay Lomax Cook Fall 2025 Colloquium Series, where our researchers from around the University share their latest policy-relevant research.

Please note all colloquia this quarter will be held in-person only.