Stockholm syndrome

From a psychological point of view, Stockholm syndrome represents one of the possible emotional reactions that can arise as a result of a situation of enormous fragility and helplessness, such as a kidnapping.

It was coined by the criminologist, Nils Berejot in the 70s, to describe the behaviors of a group of hostages who developed an emotional connection with their captorsafter they tried to rob a bank in the capital of Sweden.

The most surprising thing is that when the victims were freed, they had attitudes of compassion and generosity towards their captors, even going so far as to finance their defense. Continue reading to learn more about this psychological phenomenon!

What is Stockholm syndrome?

This is a disconcerting psychological experience: it refers to the positive emotional bond that a person develops with their own kidnapper or abuser. The victim usually shows the following signs:

You feel empathy and compassion towards your abuser and may even identify with him. He denies or minimizes the seriousness of the situation, to the point of not recognizing himself as a victim of abuse or violence. He perceives small kind gestures on the part of his aggressor, as if they were extraordinary acts of kindness, which contributes to generating an idealized and magnified image. of that person. She believes that she depends on the love and care of her kidnapper or abuser, so she tends to see the people who try to help her escape, as enemies or perverts. She has the desire to protect or defend the abuser.

Diagnostic criteria

It is important to note that this syndrome It is not included in the two most important diagnostic manuals of mental disorders (The DSM-V and ICD-11). However, for some experts it is part of “post-traumatic stress disorder”, while others associate it with “disorders due to stressors”, which are mentioned in manuals.

On the other hand, and according to an article published by the FBI, there are four factors that are considered a necessary condition for the appearance of this syndrome:

Dependence: The hostage is deprived of his freedom and depends exclusively on his captor.Isolation: The hostage is isolated from other people, so he is subordinate to the decisions of his captor.Threat: The captor threatens the hostage with death, who interprets this threat as serious and real.Kindness: the hostage perceives the kidnapper as friendly, to the extent that there is no obvious mistreatment.

Possible cause

Many mental health professionals believe that Stockholm syndrome is a survival mechanism, in which distorted dynamics emerge in the interpersonal functioning of the victim, who He develops positive feelings towards his perpetrator with the unconscious objective of adapting and surviving such an adverse circumstance. The goal of this behavior is to feel some mastery of the situation and deny the threat that is presented.

In this way, the victim tries to convince herself of the kidnapper’s good will and that he only wants to take care of her. In fact, this can spark a feeling of gratitude. They are grateful for continuing to leave them alive, being safe and healthy, feeding them and being attentive to their basic needs.

Examples of Stockholm syndrome

In recent decades, there have been kidnappings that gave rise to cases of this phenomenon in the victims and that have become famous. Some of them are:

Mary McElroy

Mary McElroy was kidnapped in 1993 by a group of men. The criminals took her to an abandoned house in Kansas and chained her in the basement. They demanded a ransom from her family and after 34 hours of captivity, they released her without any physical harm.

The most surprising thing was that, at the trial, Mary openly expressed her sympathy towards them and she was concerned about the possibility that Walter McGee, one of her kidnappers, would have to serve the death penalty.

Patty Hearst

The granddaughter of businessman William Randolph Hearst was kidnapped in 1974 by the Symbionese Liberation Army. She was subjected to intense psychological abuse by her captors, which led her to adopt some of her beliefs and behaviors. It’s more, He ended up participating in criminal activities with them.

She was then arrested and used Stockholm syndrome in her defense. However, the argument was not considered valid and she was sentenced to 35 years in prison.

Natascha Kampusch

She was kidnapped in 1998, at the age of 10, by Wolfgang Priklopil. He kept her deprived of her freedom for 8 years in a basement, exercising physical and psychological violence towards her. As time passed, Natasha developed an ambivalent emotional relationship with him, who sometimes treated her kindly.

Upon her release, she showed unexpected loyalty to her captor. and deep anguish when Wolfgang took his own life.

Situations in which Stockholm syndrome can arise

This disorder has been mostly associated with kidnapping situations. However, there are other contexts where this phenomenon can occur. For example:

Intimate partner violence

Due to the closeness of the bond and the emotional involvement, people who are abused by their partners, as an article in the magazine points out, Yearbook of Legal Psychology of Mexicocan develop Stockholm syndrome.

In this case, the victim of abuse comes to adapt to the situation of violence, presenting cognitive distortions such as dissociation, denial or minimization, which also motivates them to forgive or justify their partner’s abusive behaviors.

Child abuse

Due to the manipulative tactics that abusers apply to establish a trusting relationship with children, Stockholm syndrome can occur in victims of child abuse. Abusers often display superficially kind acts, which can confuse the child into believing that the adult genuinely cares about them. Furthermore, the contradictory feelings and ambivalent They are very common when it comes to domestic abuse.

Sex trafficking

The context of sex trafficking includes a combination of control, manipulation, and dependency that can lead to the development of this syndrome. Victims, trapped in a situation of total coercion and submission, may experience a deep emotional connection with their traffickers., due to the extreme vulnerability in which they are found. Furthermore, they are isolated from their environments and denied access to basic resources, which intensifies the feeling of dependency.

A curious phenomenon with insufficient research

It must be taken into account that Stockholm syndrome refers to a paradoxical reaction that arises from the interaction between human psychology and extreme circumstances. That is, it develops in the face of a traumatic situation.

Although this phenomenon has become popular due to the strangeness it entails, there are still many blind spots in this regard. There are not enough scientific studies to support its standardization, so more research is required to better understand its causes and underlying mechanisms.

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