Stockholm Syndrome Essay Example for Free

Stockholm Syndrome Essay Throughout the semester our class has discussed various types of deviant behavior and what kind of acts might be considered as deviant. Analyzing the motives behind deviant behavior has been very interesting to learn about and has opened my eyes to various reasons why someone might act deviant. Learning and thinking about the numerous kinds of criminal acts that occur in the world not only make me wonder about the criminals themselves, but also about the individuals that are victims in criminal acts. Hearing about various crimes where people are injured, murdered, raped, etc, have made me interesting in learning about the thoughts and feelings that victims experience in these kinds of harmful situations. The cases that I find the most interesting are ones of kidnapping and child abduction. The events that take place when someone is held captive are unspeakable and many question why abductees would not try to escape. When individuals are placed in a situation where they no longer have any control over their fate, feel intense fear of physical harm, and believe all control is in the hands of their tormentor; a threat for survival can result. This fear for survival can develop into a psychological response that can leads to having sympathy and support for their captor. This kind of psychological response is referred to as Stockholm syndrome. Stockholm syndrome refers to a group of psychological symptoms that some individuals face when they are held in captive or hostage situations. The name ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ was derived from a 1973 bank robbery in Stockholm, Sweden, where four hostages were held for six days. When they were in captivity, each hostage seemed to defend the actions of the robbers and even resisted efforts by the police to rescue them. Months after their ordeal had ended, the hostages continued to show loyalty to their captors to the point of refusing to testify against them, as well as helping the criminals raise funds for legal representation. The hostages appeared to have formed a paradoxical emotional bond with the captors. Psychologist and criminologist, Nils Berjerot, described this phenomenon as ‘Stockholm syndrome’. Stockholm syndrome is the feelings of trust or affection felt by a victim toward a captor in certain cases of kidnapping or hostage. This paradoxical psychological phenomenon, where a positive bond between hostage and captor forms, appears irrational because of the frightening ordeals that victims endure. So what causes it to happen and why? These positive feelings between hostages and hostage takers develop when a captor threatens a victim’s life and decides not to kill them. The victim forms a survival instinct that overpowers the instinct to hate the captor who caused the life-threatening situation. The victim is so concerned with saving their life that they would not jeopardize it with showing hatred or anger toward their captor. It is a basic survival instinct, and it occurs when a number of factors are present in a traumatic situation. The first factor that seems to cultivate the presence of Stockholm syndrome is when the person in control is perceived as having the power to kill the victims and threatens to do so. Second, the situation must be one where the victim cannot escape. Since the captor threatens to kill the victim and gives the perception of having the capability to do so, it leads the victim to align with the captor, endure hardship of captivity, and comply with the captor to resist getting killed. Thirdly, the traumatic situation must put the victim in an isolative state. This creates an environment where the victim is dependent on the captor for information. The victim is prevented from knowing about the world news and the public search for them. This causes feelings of abandonment and isolation, which makes the victim feel as if they have no choice but to bond with the captor. The victim gets mentally involved in the captor’s problems and views, and often the victim starts helping to achieve t he captor’s goals. This behavior creates positive bonding between the victim and captor, which increases the chances of survival for the victim. Finally, the abuser must show some form of kindness. The victim seeing the perpetrator as showing some degree of kindness is the most important factor for causing Stockholm syndrome. The syndrome will not develop unless the captor shows compassion in some form toward the victim. For example, lack of abuse may be misinterpreted as kindness, leading to the development of feelings of appreciation. When a victim is under extreme stress and fearing for their life, they see the smallest act of kindness as proof of the abusers compassion. Seeing the abuser as kind helps to lower stress levels and gives the victim a false security that they are safe. There are three characteristics that seem to be apparent in individuals in situations resulting in Stockholm syndrome. One is that the victim has positive feelings for the captor. This often results from the thankfulness of the victim towards the captor for giving life by simply not taking it. The second characteristic usually shown is that the victim shows fear, distrust, and anger towards the authorities. This occurs because the victim feels as if the authorities can only mishandle the situation, therefore putting their life in danger. Viewing authorities as the enemy stimulates a positive bond between victim and captor. This leads to the last characteristic, which is when the captor displays positive feelings towards the victim. Positive feelings from the shown toward the victim are seen as essential for the victim’s survival. Stockholm syndrome has received considerable media publicity over the years because it has been used to explain the behavior of some notorious kidnapping victims. One famous case of Stockholm syndrome was when the Symbionese Liberation Army kidnapped actress, Patty He arst, in 1974. After two months in captivity, she actively took part in a robbery that they planned. Another well-known case was that of Elizebeth Smart. She fell victim to Stockholm syndrome after her nine months of captivity and abuse by her captives, Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee. Lastly, the case of Jaycee Lee Dugard was a very prominent story of Stockholm syndrome. Phillip Garrido abducted her for 18 years. Garrido fathered two girls with Jaycee during her captivity. When Jacyee was questioned by investigators, she did not reveal her identity, instead she told them that she was a battered wife who was hiding from her abusive husband. She described Garrido as a good person who she trusted. It was clear that she formed an emotional bond over the years she was held captive by Garrido. While many people will survive such encounters, it does not mean that they do so mentally unharmed. The psychological effects are numerous and victims of Stockholm syndrome are left with mental anguish that can last a lifetime. There are many side effects that are cause by Stockholm syndrome. The main effects that seem to have been shown in many victims are depression, self-blame, social isolation, self-destructive behavior, flashbacks, guilt, and anger. With so many side effects it is extremely important for sufferers to receive treatment. Treatment of Stockholm syndrome entails a combination of medications and psychotherapy. It is unfortunate to see what the effects of someone’s criminal behavior can have on others. It is frightening that there are people out there in this world that are capable of committing such terrible actions. The many who have lost their lives and have to deal with life long memories and scars of traumatizing events is horrifying.