You may have heard Stockholm Syndrome mentioned,
when people talk about things like true crime, or Beauty and the Beast.
But what is it really?
Where did the term come from?
Why does it happen? And how common is it?
Well, you're in luck for some answers.
We did the research, so you don't have to.
The Robbery That Named the Condition.
Stockholm Syndrome is generally defined as the occurrence
where hostages form emotional attachments to their captors,
and or begin to feel sympathy for them.
Criminologist and psychiatrist Nils Bejerot
first coined the term Stockholm Syndrome in 1973.
That year, four people were held hostage during a bank robbery in Stockholm, Sweden.
Yet upon being released,
the hostages didn't show any anger towards their captor.
Instead, they defended him and even refused to testify against him in court.
Since then, Stockholm Syndrome has been spotted in various situations,
not just hostages and kidnappings,
it has been recorded in victims of sexual abuse, human trafficking, discrimination,
terror, and political and religious oppression as well.
The Circumstances That Create It
Psychologists believe that this reaction happens as a coping mechanism,
and can occur as a result of hopelessness and frustration.
A victim may feel the police aren't doing their job well enough,
which creates a resentment that the captor can relate to.
However, the victim doesn't automatically agree with their oppressor.
In almost all cases of Stockholm Syndrome,
the captor has to spend face to face time with the victim,
for this to occur.
Gradually, the victim may start to view them
more as a person than a villain.
The Dark Results of Stockholm Syndrome.
Once released, victims of abduction, or those situations listed above,
may develop the following symptoms:
Compassion for one's captor, refusal to admit their wrongdoing, flashbacks of the event,
increased aggression, depression,
guilt and post traumatic stress disorder.
They may also develop a dependency on their aggressor,
where they feel they cannot survive without them.
The good news is most people in hostage situations do not develop Stockholm Syndrome.
The Rarity of Captor Compassion
The FBI's hostage barricade system says
that ninety two percent of people in these circumstances
do not present any symptoms that would indicate Stockholm Syndrome.
However, it is still very real and should be taken seriously.
How Serious Can It Get?
Each person's reaction to a hostage situation is different.
However, there are a few famous examples,
where the attachment one had to their abductor went very far.
Natasha Kampusch
Natasha Kampusch was abducted as a child in 1998.
After her abuser's death, she kept a picture of him in her wallet,
and even bought the house she was held in.
Patty Hearst
After Patty Hearst, the granddaughter of William Hearst,
was taken by a terrorist group in 1974,
the media went into a flurry.
But to everyone's surprise,
she eventually joined the group that took her.
Mary McElroy.
Mary McElroy was kidnapped in 1933
after being rescued from her abductors,
she claimed they were only businessmen.
She visited them in jail, and eventually committed suicide,
leaving a note that said:
my four captors were probably the only people on Earth
who don't consider me an utter fool.
You have your death penalty now,
so please, give them a chance.
We understand the significant effects, abuse and confinement has on a person
and want to provide emotional support to those who have been through a similar situation.
If you would like to learn more about Stockholm Syndrome,
you can find additional information in the links below
and in our article, Stockholm Syndrome Traumatic Bonding.
Let us know in the comments
if you know other examples, or healing tips for those who are recovering.
Thanks for watching.