You will undoubtedly have heard about this syndrome, if you are a regular and suspense and action movies.In many of them you talk about this curious identification of the victim with his captors, but do you know why it is called that or what psychological depths does it come from? In Lifestyle we tell you.
Once upon a time, in Stockholm...
It was 1973 in the Swedish capital, In the middle of the summer, the Kreditbanken bank, in the center of the city, carried out an armed robbery that ended in a hostage situation.The offender Jan Erik Olsson , inmate who was on leave, hurt a police officer and dominate another, both sent almost immediately by the Swedish police.
Such a situation lasted 6 days, in the that the kidnapper demanded 3 million crowns, a vehicle and two weapons , thus beginning the negotiations.The government only agreed to take an Olsson friend, Clarck Olofsson.
As the kidnapper threatened the hostages If it had already been too long, the police decided to act.Fortunately there were no injuries, but to everyone's surprise, one of the hostages, Kristin Ehnmark , was reluctant to be rescued.on the side of Olsson and showed fear of the police action.
Both criminals were convicted, and Olsson was released after 10 years in prison, fully rehabilitated and with an extensive list of fans .
In the judicial process, all the hostages were reluctant to testify against the kidnappers and when asked why, they explained that the police caused them terror , much more than the captors. They felt safe with them .
After analyzing such behavior, criminologist Nils Bejerot called that type of identification “Stockholm syndrome” to refer to hostage situations in which they are “recognized in ”in their captors, even in spite of the danger in which they were placed.
Another emblematic case
In 1974 another case was presented, the kidnapping of the granddaughter of the communication magnate William Randolph Hearst , Patricia, by the Liberation Army Simbiones (or Symbiotic), a terrorist group from the extreme left operating in San Francisco, USA The 19-year-old girl was never delivered, but Patty, as she was known, changed her name to Tania , as the pseudonym of the famous guerrilla companion of Che Guevara , and months later they would see her armed with a rifle and attached to the group.
While this case differs from from Stockholm in the that the identification of the victim with his captor was automatic (Patty was locked up for months in a closet, sexually banned and indoctrinated), is also considered a modality of this syndrome.
What is the Stockholm syndrome?
Since then, criminologists, forensic psychologists and other scientists have typified the syndrome as a psychological reaction in which the victim develops a relationship of complicity and a strong emotional bond with whom he has kidnapped him.
Within the studies, it is thought that the people most likely to generate the syndrome are those who have suffered abuse , who have been repeatedly beaten or humiliated during their lifetime .
This link is developed because the hostage misunderstands the kidnapper's violence as a show sympathy or an act of humanity towards him/her, and exhibit two typical reactions s: on the one hand, positive feelings towards the kidnappers and on the other, fear and anger against the police authorities.
As both, victim and aggressor, they want to leave unharmed conflict, "associate" and cooperate; In addition, the total loss of control of who is kidnapped is very difficult to handle, so he justifies his cooperation in front of the possibility of survival.
The power has the kidnapper, who He becomes a benefactor and that is why this emotional "relationship" develops where the kidnapped finally thanks the perpetrator of the crime.
The human psyche will never cease to surprise us, don't you think?
If you are interested in the topic of these psychological depths, then go to our article Asperger syndrome, which will give you interesting and extraordinary information.
Images: Municipal Archives of Trondheim, Michiyo 小 兽 , pedro veneroso , Miiko Mentz
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