Simply put, Stockholm Syndrome is where a victim feels sympathy for the person he/she is being abused by. Although the name dates from the 1970s, the phenomenon itself has been known for much longer.
The name
The name Stockholm Syndrome arose as a result of a hostage situation in the Kreditbanken in Stockholm from August 23 to 28, 1973. The hostages developed a bond with their captors and spoke positively about them even after their liberation. Two of the captured women even became engaged to their hostage takers. The psychologist Nils Bejerot, who assisted the police, was the one who came up with the name.
,Emotional, or ,traumatic bonding,
Although the name was new at the time, the phenomenon had been known to psychologists and other care providers for much longer, often under the title ’emotional’ or ‘traumatic bonding’. In many situations, victims feel sympathy for those who abuse them. It is a survival mechanism for victims of abuse and harassment. There are several categories in which Stockholm syndrome can play a role. In all categories there is an unequal situation, where one party clearly has the power:
- Abused children
- Abused women
- Victims of incest
- Prisoners in concentration camps
- Cult members
- People in relationships where they are intimidated
Symptoms of Stockholm Syndrome
There are a number of symptoms that may occur in people who suffer from Stockholm syndrome. Victims have positive feelings toward those who abuse them and often have negative feelings toward those who want to help them. This is a striking phenomenon, especially among women who are in a relationship in which they are abused. They often do not report the crime to the police or withdraw it and protect their partner. The latter is also a typical phenomenon in Stockholm syndrome, in which the perpetrator is protected and defended against the outside world and sometimes even literally helped. The perpetrator usually does not have a completely negative attitude towards his victim and has a bond with him. And when the victim has the opportunity to escape the situation, he/she will often not cooperate and remain stuck in the situation.
Conditions
There are a number of conditions that must be met before Stockholm Syndrome actually occurs. First of all, there is often a threat, whether that threat is real or not, the victim is afraid that the perpetrator will actually carry out the threat. The victim feels intimidated, rightly or wrongly. In addition, the perpetrator will also be nice to his/her victim in all kinds of small ways, which gives the victim the feeling that everything is not so bad. It is important that victims are often isolated from their environment, so that they only come into contact with the person who abuses them and are therefore no longer open to other opinions and ways of thinking. The victims often also feel that they cannot escape.
Almost anyone who finds themselves in such a situation can suffer from Stockholm Syndrome. It is a normal human means of survival in a very difficult situation. There are often different phases in the relationship between victim and abuser: the tension builds up, then there is the punishment and then the ‘honeymoon period’ follows. It is precisely the alternation between good and bad treatment that ensures that the victim continues to feel sympathy for the person who abuses him/her.
Cognitive dissonance
Although victims are often very aware that something is wrong, there seem to be two different realities: the reality they live in and life as it should actually be. Few people will want to admit that the reality in which they live is not actually as it should be and that is why they will try, unconsciously, to justify their situation: this is called cognitive dissonance in psychology. And the more people have invested in a relationship, the stronger this mechanism will be.
Known cases of Stockholm syndrome
In addition to the hostage situation to which the syndrome owes its name, there are other well-known cases of Stockholm syndrome. American Patty Hearst was kidnapped by an obscure group, which she later helped in a bank robbery. During her trial, she claimed to have suffered from Stockholm syndrome. The recently released Natascha Kampusch is perhaps the best known, she was kidnapped at the age of 10 and remained captive until she was eighteen. According to some media, she mourned the death of her captor.