What defines a hostage?

Defining a hostage primarily revolves around the concept of being held against one’s will. A hostage situation typically involves an individual or individuals who are forcibly confined or restrained by another person or group, creating a scenario where their freedom is restricted without their consent.

While individuals taken for negotiation may be proposed in some scenarios where their release is leveraged for demands, the broader definition encompasses anyone whose liberty is taken away, regardless of the terms of their detention. Therefore, the essence of capturing the situation lies in the violation of the individual’s autonomy, which is accurately reflected in the notion of being held against their will.

The other options, while they may touch on aspects of hostage situations, do not capture the core definition as effectively. For example, not all individuals held may necessarily serve as leverage for negotiation, nor does restriction from escape alone imply the legal status of a hostage without the context of being coerced or confined against their will.