Stockholm syndrome is a form of psychological illness which causes an hostage to develop feelings towards his/her captors. The term traces its history back in 1973 when Jan-Erik Olsson took four bank operators as his captives during a failed bank robbery (Adorjan et al., 2012). Upon the release of the hostages, police investigators failed to establish solid information about the convict as all the four victims refused to relay information regarding their captor. It was at this point that Stockholm police inquired Nils Bejerot a Swedish criminologist and psychiatrist to help them with analyzing the situation. Nils reduced his report to brainwashing. He called the captives’ reaction towards their captor a normalmstorg syndrome a term which was later known as Stockholm syndrome in other parts of the world. Later, in an attempt to help in managing hostage situations, Frank Ochberg defined Stockholm syndrome thereby making the term recognized further.
What causes Stockholm Syndrome?
Although there are no empirical studies that confirm the real cause of Stockholm syndrome, possible reasons that cause the condition is not limited to being in a situation where one or a group of people are in charge of every task that one conducts, the threat of violence, unforeseeable acts of kindness and hopelessness while in the hands of captors (Adorjan et al., 2012). An example of a person who experienced Stockholm syndrome as a result of small acts of kindness was Natascha Kampusch. Natscha was an Austrian child who was abducted and later escaped from her captor after eight years. However, Natasha acknowledged her captor in a statement given by a psychiatrist who Natascha was spared a lot of things since she did not start smoking or hang with bad company.
Hopelessness is another major reasons for developing Stockholm syndrome. Captives come to sympathize with their captors or masters simply because they are in desperate situation. In most cases, these people feel that their lives are under the hands of their kidnappers. Therefore, to avoid any harm towards them they develop an alliance with their captors little do they know that they are in the first phase of developing Stockholm syndrome (Adorjan et al., 2012). With no way out of their predicaments, they opt to believe and trust their captors as a form of survival tactic. However, the condition does not last in their captivity period but extend to the outside world after they are released. This is only identified when they are inquired to give information about their captors in an attempt to get evidence for their conviction.
Small and unforeseeable acts of kindness is also a major reason why an individual develops great care to his/her captors. Human beings nature is to love and endear those who care about them. Similarly, when a captor abducts a person and is gentle with the person, he/she tend to feel that he/she is in the right hands. The captor tends to influence the mind and emotion of hostages through acts of kindness which clearly depict that they care (Adorjan et al., 2012). In return, the hostages start forming a bond with their captor. The good attitude that they develop is what is called Stockholm syndrome.
On the other hand, Stockholm syndrome may be caused by discussion between the captor and the hostages perpetuating that they are right while all other people are wrong. The kidnappers may enforce their beliefs and ideals an act which steadily changes the attitude of the hostages towards their captors (Adorjan et al., 2012). Consequently, the hostages fall into what is perpetuated by the captors thereby starting to trust and believe their captors.
What Makes Stockholm Syndrome a Survival Mechanism?
Stockholm syndrome is a survival mechanism since it manipulates the captors. The effect of Stockholm syndrome is two way. This is because, from the hostages’ effects, the captor begins to treat his/her captives well than he/she could have done (Adorjan et al., 2012). In the underlying thinking and behavior, the hostages are able to survive thus making the syndrome a survival strategy provided there is no means to get out of the system and context.
What are the Aftermaths of being a Victim of Stockholm Syndrome?
The consequences of being a victim of Stockholm syndrome range from physical, mental as well as emotional difficulties. Upon their release, hostage survivors usually undergo a transitioning period from being isolated and helpless to sensual burden and freedom. The transition is usually accompanied by major adjustment difficulties. In many occasions, victims suffer impaired memory, misperception, and terror of the incident occurring yet again. On the other hand, hostage survivors may experience numbness, guilt, and depression since they survived while others did not make it alive (Jameson, 2010). Most significantly, hostage survivors may have difficulties bonding with people as a result of their condition. Withdrawal and avoidance of relatives and friends is also another consequence of Stockholm syndrome to the victims. The victims usually have difficulties bonding with people he/she knew before the kidnapping event.
What are the Consequences of Violence and Victimization?
Violence and victimization impacts various people differently depending on the exposure of a person to violent events or scenes. Violence and victimization affect a person particularly at an emotional, physical, financial, psychological and social level. At the emotional level, a person is subjected to shock, disbelief, and denial. When the initial shock of the violence wore off, individuals may start to develop anger, terror, frustration, confusion, humiliation, and grief among many other emotional aspects. Grief and sorrow are the most intense emotional aspects that last for a long time among people who have experienced violence and victimization. These people tend to be depressed after the event as a result of their reaction towards what happened in their life.
Violence and victimization have also physical impacts on the victims. At the time of the violence, victims are likely to have an increase in adrenalin levels, flight response, increased heart rate among many other terror responses. These responses may cause an individual to get injured ranging from minor to severe injuries. However, injuries resulting from victimization may not be apparent since they may be on clothed body parts. Other physical impacts of violence and victimization may include insomnia, lack of appetite, muscle tensions which may persist for a period of time before vanishing.
On the other hand, violence and victimization may cause financial liabilities to the victims. For instance, a person subjected to violent crime may lose his/her money and property. The money may not be recovered thus posing a financial liability to the victim. Moreover, a victim may find him/herself paying for installing security measures, medical expenses and repairing destroyed properties among many other expenses associated with a crime. Therefore, financial expenses are among the major consequences of violence and victimization.
Violence and victimization may also have psychological impacts on the victims. The psychological impacts are usually very difficult to cope with and have long-lasting effects. As stated earlier, A violent scene usually causes shock, fear, anger, disbelief, and guilt to the victims. These reactions may reoccur later in the life of an individual. Most significantly, violence may cause stress which later develops into depression an even worse effect of victimization (Jameson, 2010). On the other hand, a victim of domestic violence may develop traumatic bonding or attachment to an abuser. The bond may be difficult to break particularly when the relationship with the abuser has been for a long period (Lowry, 2013). Learned helplessness is another effect of violence and victimization which is usually not addressed by researchers. The behavior usually occurs when a person has been subjected to violence either for a long period of time or at different stages of his/her life. Therefore, when violence erupts, the person fails to develop an escape or avoid stimuli since he/she is used to such a response. An example of a learned helplessness is when an individual is inquired to escape a violent or victimization event and responds with such words as opposing is of no use or why bother.
Conclusion
In conclusion, people who suffer from Stockholm syndrome usually develop an alliance and a good attitude towards their captors as a result of desperation. The behavior is often caused by an unconscious state of self-preservation. In many psychological trauma instances, Stockholm syndrome becomes common among those in a hostage situation and its effects persist even after their release. In most classic cases, survivor hostages find themselves defending their captors in an attempt to prevent them from any harm.
References
Adorjan, M., Christensen, T., Kelly, B., " Pawluch, D. (2012). Stockholm syndrome as a vernacular resource. The Sociological Quarterly, 53(3), 454-474.
Jameson, C. (2010). The “short step” from love to hypnosis: A reconsideration of the Stockholm syndrome. Journal for Cultural Research, 14(4), 337-355.
Lowry, J. A. (2013). Traumatic bonding: clinical implications in incest. Treatment of Child and Adult Survivors, 219.
