What is Stockholm syndrome?
Stockholm syndrome is a psychological response to being held captive. People with Stockholm syndrome form a psychological connection with their captors and begin sympathizing with them.
In addition to the original kidnapper-hostage situation, Stockholm syndrome now includes other types of trauma in which there’s a bond between the abuser and the person being abused.
Many medical professionals consider the victim’s positive feelings toward their abuser a psychological response — a coping mechanism — that they use to survive the days, weeks or even years of trauma or abuse.
Other closely linked psychological conditions include:
- Trauma bonding.
- Learned helplessness.
- Battered person syndrome.
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How did Stockholm syndrome get its name?
This condition gets its name from a 1973 bank robbery incident that happened in Stockholm, Sweden. During the six-day standoff with police, many of the captive bank employees became sympathetic toward the bank robbers. After they were set free, some bank employees refused to testify against the bank robbers in court and even raised money for their defense.
A criminologist and psychiatrist investigating the event developed the term, “Stockholm syndrome” to describe the affinity some bank employees showed toward the bank robbers.
