What is «Stockholm syndrome»?

Stockholm syndrome — is a psychological reaction where victims (such as hostages) form an emotional bond with their abusers, feeling sympathy, compassion, and sometimes even protecting them. It is an unconscious defense mechanism that helps a person adapt to an extreme situation that threatens his life.

The victim begins to justify the actions of the aggressor, looks for the reasons for his cruelty (for example, «he had a difficult childhood»), feels sympathy for him and believes in his «good» sides. This can be the result of a long stay together and dependence on the aggressor.

The victim voluntarily helps his aggressor, comply with his demands and even obstruct the actions of the police or rescuers. This cooperation is a way to survive and reduce the threat. The victim tries to «guess the perpetrator's wish to avoid punishment.

A person who is under the influence of the syndrome can resist attempts to free him, fear salvation more than being held captive. She perceives rescuers as a threat that could make things worse, while the abuser seems «clear» and «safe».

It is a deep emotional bond that arises in conditions of intense fear and addiction. The victim feels grateful for minor «acts of kindness», such as food or lack of physical violence. It is a distorted perception of reality where one values what is essentially his basic right.

The victim can adopt the worldview, values and behavior of his offender. It begins to perceive itself as a «part» of the aggressor or its «community». This is manifested in the fact that the victim repeats the offender's phrases, his manners or even justifies violence against other people.

The name «Stockholm syndrome» comes from a dramatic event that happened in Sweden.

In 1973, the Kreditbanken bank robbery took place in the capital of Sweden, Stockholm. The robber, Jan-Erik Ulson, took four bank employees hostage. The hostages were held captive for six days, during which an unexpected emotional bond developed between the hostages and Ulson.

Ulson did not treat them harshly, and at one point even showed «kindness», such as giving them blankets or calming them down.

After their release, the hostages refused to testify against Ulson. Moreover, they openly defended him, declared that he had no intention of harming them, and one of the hostages even became engaged to him.

Psychiatrist Niels Beyerot first used the expression «Stockholm syndrome» to explain this unusual behavior of victims. He concluded that under severe stress and life-threatening conditions, the human psyche can form a defense mechanism that helps «adapt» to the aggressor in order to survive.

Today, this term is also applied to other situations where there is a strong dependence of the victim on the offender, which are mentioned below.

This is one of the most common areas where Stockholm syndrome manifests itself. The victim (usually a woman or child) forms an emotional attachment to the aggressor. This happens when the violence alternates with periods of «kindness» or «remorse» of the abuser. The victim begins to justify the aggressor's actions, believe in his changes and is afraid to leave the relationship, as this can cause even greater danger.

This is a classic example, from which the origin of the term came. The victim, who is in isolation and under constant threat, begins to feel sympathy for the kidnapper. This is due to the aggressor becoming the only source of information and «control» over the victim's life. Even minimal manifestations of humanity on his part are perceived as mercy that causes gratitude.

In these groups, the manipulator leader establishes complete control over the lives of his followers. He uses psychological violence, intimidation and isolation to subdue their will. Members of the sect can develop Stockholm syndrome because they are completely dependent on the leader and the group, believe in its «kindness» and justify cruel rules.

Inhumane inmates may develop a traumatic attachment to their warders. This allows them to survive as they try to «like» offender to get better conditions or avoid punishment. This is an extreme form of adaptation to traumatic conditions.

Victims of trafficking are often under the full control of their exploiters. Intimidation, physical abuse and isolation from the outside world lead to the fact that the victim forms a psychological dependence. In some cases, they may protect their abusers by believing that those «care» for them, or that escaping will bring even more suffering.

The syndrome is based on several key psychological processes:

A person who cannot fight or escape can identify himself with the aggressor. This mechanism, known in psychoanalysis, helps reduce fear as the victim begins to perceive himself as a «part of the perpetrator rather than as his target. This creates the illusion of security.

Minor manifestations of humanity on the part of the offender are perceived by the victim as an act of mercy. It evokes gratitude and attachment, part of a distorted survival system. The victim begins to believe that «good» behavior depends on herself, giving her an illusory sense of control.

To explain the unbearable reality, where the source of fear and pain is both the only «caregiver», the victim's psyche tries to reconcile these opposing ideas. The victim justifies the actions of the aggressor (for example, «he is not guilty, he himself is a victim of circumstances») and devalues the danger, which helps her preserve her inner integrity.

In conditions of captivity or violence, a person can return to a childlike state of psychological dependence. She is completely subordinate to the aggressor, as the child obeys the parents, which is a way to ensure the basic needs — food, water, safety.

The relevance of Stockholm syndrome does not lose its significance, as it is a tool for understanding the psychological mechanisms of human survival in extreme conditions. The phenomenon is manifested in various spheres of modern life, in particular in criminology, where it is used to analyze cases of hostage-taking and kidnappings. According to the FBI, manifestations of Stockholm syndrome are observed in 27% of such situations. In the area of domestic violence, this phenomenon helps to explain why victims, despite suffering, do not abandon their abusers. Alternating violence with «expressions of love» creates a vicious circle in which the victim feels trapped. Stockholm syndrome has become popular a plot in culture and media, which indicates its significance for public consciousness. Movies like «Beauties and Monsters» or «Bind Me» show how this complex psychological phenomenon is understood in popular culture.