# What is the Stockholm syndrome? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 6, 2003, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-stockholm-syndrome/166786 "2003-04-06T01:58:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Concensus\_gentium\_fallacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Concensus\_gentium\_fallacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Concensus_gentium_fallacy)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2003, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-stockholm-syndrome/166786/1 "2003-04-06T01:58:32Z")
I know it refers to hostages identifying with their captors, but what is the context? What was the event referred to her? ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2003, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-stockholm-syndrome/166786/2 "2003-04-06T02:02:17Z")
I think [this page](http://www.sniggle.net/stock.php) will give you all the information you need. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2003, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-stockholm-syndrome/166786/3 "2003-04-06T02:03:28Z")
Many years ago, a bank robber in Stockholm took hostages and kept them for quite a while in the vault. When they got released and the bank robber captured the hostages defended him. At the time, everyone thought “what is wrong with those fools?” It was studied and that is when the came up with the Stockholm syndrome. ---
**Author:** ![Undine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e99b99/32.png) [@Undine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Undine)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2003, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-stockholm-syndrome/166786/4 "2003-04-06T02:11:48Z")
According to [this](http://www.yahoodi.com/peace/stockholm.html) it refers to a 1973 bank robbery/hostage situation in (surprise) Stockholm. Apparently, four bank employees (three woman and a man) were held hostage in a vault for six days, but resisted rescue attempts and later refused to testify against their captors. According to [one site](http://web2.iadfw.net/ktrig246/out_of_cave/sss.html) two of the women actually were later engaged to the two bank robbers. ---
**Author:** ![S\_or\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@S\_or\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/S_or_L)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2003, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-stockholm-syndrome/166786/5 "2003-04-06T03:03:22Z")
Talk about desperate. Maybe it was as close as they’d come in years to having anyone pay them any attention, but that’s still hard to believe. I doubt I’d give up my convictions that easily. ---
**Author:** ![j.c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@j.c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j.c)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2003, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-stockholm-syndrome/166786/6 "2003-04-06T03:15:11Z")
S or L - if it makes you feel any better, sometimes people who have been in a similar situation have so much hatred for the criminals (or abusers) that they have a hard time going forward with their lives. People have many responses to such dramatic events. ---
**Author:** ![S\_or\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@S\_or\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/S_or_L)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2003, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-stockholm-syndrome/166786/7 "2003-04-06T03:28:10Z")
Now _that_ I’ve seen and can understand. If those people made it their pet project to attend every hearing and trial for years until the robbers were put away, I would totally understand. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2003, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-stockholm-syndrome/166786/8 "2003-04-06T17:49:23Z")
The Patty Hearst case is what really brought the term to prominence, though currently it’s being bounced around the name “Elizabeth Smart”, probably with a lot less accuracy as it seems to have been less love than mortal fear that held her to her captor. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-stockholm-syndrome/166786/9 "2003-04-07T12:55:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Undine \* > According to [one site](http://web2.iadfw.net/ktrig246/out_of_cave/sss.html) two of the women actually were later engaged to the two bank robbers. Not true. ---
**Author:** ![Undine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e99b99/32.png) [@Undine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Undine)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-stockholm-syndrome/166786/10 "2003-04-07T13:10:04Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Floater_ > Not true Well, I phrased it that way because I wasn’t sure. Sorry for inadverdently perpetuating lies. I’ll have to be more careful in the future.