What is the cause of the ‘Stockholm Syndrome’, where a hostage begins to side with their captor? How common is this??
How come you never hear about P.O.W.'s developing the ‘Stockholm Syndrome’? Is there a certain personality type that is more prone to this condition?? Are women any more likely to get it than men???
Thanks.
As often as it makes a convienient plot device . . .
Not sure what sort of point dalovindj was trying to make. anyway, here’s one of many links to the original stockholm syndrome:
http://www.sniggle.net/stock.php
I remember one of the terrorist hijackings in the 80s (twa comes to mind) where the hostages, after release, voiced support for the captors’s cause.
As far as POWs not displaying this, I’d imagine that months/years of indoctrination/training in the military, at a very impressionable age, would have something to do with it, if of course POWs do not display Stockholm Syndrome.
This link, http://web2.iadfw.net/ktrig246/out_of_cave/sss.html discusses the syndrome. In part, it says, "The term, Stockholm Syndrome, was coined in the early 70’s to describe the puzzling reactions of
four bank employees to their captor. On August 23, 1973, three women and one man were taken
hostage in one of the largest banks in Stockholm. They were held for six days by two ex-convicts
who threatened their lives but also showed them kindness. To the world’s surprise, all of the
hostages strongly resisted the government’s efforts to rescue them and were quite eager to defend
their captors. Indeed, several months after the hostages were saved by the police, they still had
warm feelings for the men who threatened their lives. Two of the women eventually got engaged to
the captors.
The Stockholm incident compelled journalists and social scientists to research whether the
emotional bonding between captors and captives was a "freak" incident or a common occurrence in
oppressive situations. They discovered that it's such a common phenomenon that it deserves a
name. Thus the label, Stockholm Syndrome, was born. It has happened to concentration camp
prisoners, cult members, civilians in Chinese Communist prisons, pimp-procured prostitutes, incest
victims, physically and/or emotionally abused children, battered women, prisoners of war, victims of
hijackings, and of course, hostages. Virtually anyone can get Stockholm Syndrome it the following
conditions are met:
Perceived threat to survival and the belief that one's captor is willing to act on that threat
The captive's perception of small kindnesses from the captor within a context of terror
Isolation from perspectives other than those of the captor
Perceived inability to escape.
Stockholm Syndrome is a survival mechanism. The men and women who get it are not lunatics.
They are fighting for their lives. They deserve compassion, not ridicule."Patty Hearst fell into this, and unfortunately, ended up doing time for it.
Whose dillinger who did the same thing?
A recent novel in which this syndrome places an interesting role is “Bel Canto.” I highly recommend the book.