Stockholm Syndrome is a psychological behavior where hostages show loyalty or sympathy for their captors. It can also occur in cases of domestic abuse. The term originated from a 1973 bank robbery in Stockholm. Psychiatrists argue it’s a brainwashing technique or a defense mechanism for survival. It’s commonly used in the military to build loyalty and strengthen bonds. Small acts of kindness from captors can cause the syndrome, which takes about four days to set in and can last for a long time after the ordeal is over.
Stockholm syndrome is a psychological behavior that appears in certain hostage situations. The condition appears when the hostage begins to show loyalty or sympathy for the people holding him captive. Stockholm syndrome can also be used to describe the behavior of some victims of domestic abuse or bride kidnapping.
The term Stockholm Syndrome originated in 1973 after a bank robbery in Stockholm, Sweden. During the robbery, bank employees were held hostage for six days. During this time, some of the employees grew emotionally attached to their captors. Some of the hostages defended the bank robbers’ actions after the ordeal was over.
Psychiatrists have argued that Stockholm syndrome can be explained as a simple brainwashing technique. It can also be seen as a natural response or defense mechanism by prisoners to ensure their survival. It is the same emotional response that newborns have to a dominant adult figure.
The military commonly uses this form of brainwashing to build loyalty and strengthen bonds between individuals in units. Stockholm syndrome is also used to describe some forms of domestic abuse. Abused husbands and wives who remain loyal to the abuser can be said to be brainwashed in this way. Many abused people remain inexplicably loyal to the abuser even when offered a safer alternative.
Another term used to describe Stockholm syndrome is the bond of capture, in which a strong bond develops between the hostage and the captor. A woman who was held captive during a robbery ended up bonded so strongly that she broke off her engagement to a partner. After the robbery, she continued to keep in touch with her captor while she was incarcerated.
One of the most famous cases of Stockholm Syndrome involved millionaire heiress Patty Hearst. In 1974, Hearst was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA). During her time as a prisoner, she helped the SLA rob a bank. When arrested, Hearst used Stockholm Syndrome as his defense for her. Her defense was unsuccessful and Hearst was eventually jailed for her role in the robbery.
Most recently, British journalist Yvonne Ridley was captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001. Ridley was held captive for 11 days and, after promising to study Islam, was released. Since her release, Ridley has converted to Islam and holds strong Islamic views.
One of the major factors in Stockholm syndrome is that captors may perform small acts of kindness towards their captives. The threat of death, countered with these gestures, is thought to cause the syndrome. The prisoner will begin to identify with the psyche of the captor in order to survive. Stockholm syndrome takes about four days to set in and can last for a long time after the ordeal is over.
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