PRISONER OF WAR (POW)

By
N., Pam M.S.
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A prisoner of war is a person held by the opposing side in a military conflict. They are often subjected to inhumane and degrading conditions and reprisal from the armed force running their detention. Prisoners of war are nominally protected by conventions of war adopted in International forums, but, with the exception of a few countries, are in fact punished severely for their actions. In the American Military, captured American fighting men and women are expected to maintain as much military discipline as possible and never accept their confinement with the ultimate goal of escaping or eluding their captors and returning to fighting status again. Few are able to succeed.

PRISONER OF WAR (POW): "Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) was a prisoner of war in the notorious "Hanoi Hilton" in North Vietnam for seven years during the Vietnam war."

Related Psychology Terms

  1. ASSUMED ROLE
  2. EXPECTATION-STATES THEORY
  3. STATUS SYMBOL
  4. PRIMARY WARFARE SITUATIONS
  5. BIOGRAPHICAL EVALUATION AND SCREENING OF TROOPS
  6. OCCASIONAL INVERSION
  7. AMERICAN ALLIANCE FOR HEALTH, PHYSICAL EDUCA
  8. LEARNING DISORDER (LD)
  9. ACTING OUT
  10. SANATORIUM
Cite this page: N., Pam M.S., "PRISONER OF WAR (POW)," in PsychologyDictionary.org, April 28, 2013, https://psychologydictionary.org/prisoner-of-war-pow/ (accessed January 17, 2020).
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