On the down side, it also assures that the hostages experiencing “Stockholm Syndrome” will not be very cooperative during rescue or criminal prosecution. In fact, it is often encouraged in crime situations as it improves the chances for survival of the hostages. The “Stockholm Syndrome” reaction in hostage and/or abuse situations is so well recognized at this time that police hostage negotiators no longer view it as unusual. In the final analysis, emotionally bonding with an abuser is actually a strategy for survival for victims of abuse and intimidation. It had been recognized many years before and was found in studies of other hostage, prisoner, or abusive situations such as: While the psychological condition in hostage situations became known as “Stockholm Syndrome” due to the publicity, the emotional “bonding” with captors was a familiar story in psychology. Clearly, the hostages had “bonded” emotionally with their captors. One woman later became engaged to one of the criminals and another developed a legal defense fund to aid in their criminal defense fees. The hostages had begun to feel the captors were actually protecting them from the police. In their media interviews, it was clear that they supported their captors and actually feared law enforcement personnel who came to their rescue. The hostages were strapped with dynamite and held in a bank vault until finally rescued on August 28th.Īfter their rescue, the hostages exhibited a shocking attitude considering they were threatened, abused, and feared for their lives for over five days. Blasting their guns, one prison escapee named Jan-Erik Olsson announced to the terrified bank employees “The party has just begun!” The two bank robbers held four hostages, three women and one man, for the next 131 hours. On August 23rd, 1973 two machine-gun carrying criminals entered a bank in Stockholm, Sweden. While the situation doesn’t make sense from a social standpoint, does it make sense from a psychological viewpoint? The answer is - Yes! He’s got a new girlfriend and he’s abusing her too…but I’m jealous!” Friends and relatives are even more amazed and shocked when they hear these comments or witness their loved one returning to an abusive relationship. Recently I’ve heard “This doesn’t make sense. When the relationship ends, they offer comments such as “I know what he’s done to me, but I still love him”, “I don’t know why, but I want him back”, or “I know it sounds crazy, but I miss her”. In clinical practice, some of the most surprised and shocked individuals are those who have been involved in controlling and abusive relationships. A patient with Bipolar Disorder recently told me “I can’t believe I thought I could change the weather through mental telepathy!” A common reaction is “I can’t believe I did that!” Patients recovering from severe psychiatric disturbances are often shocked as they remember their symptoms and behavior during the episode. Those with depression are stunned when they remember they’ve thought of killing themselves. People are often amazed at their own psychological conditions and reactions. Isolation from Perspectives Other than those of the Captor.Perceived Threat to One’s Physical/Psychological Survival.
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