The first time that I heard about it was in 1974, when Patricia Hearst, the heir to a publishing fortune was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army, (the SLA.)
What was astonishing was that sometime later, not only did she join the SLA, but actively participated in a bank robbery with them ....only to be caught and gaoled by the authorities-The emaciated, bedraggled human being, a far cry from the sophisticated young woman she had been before her kidnapping..
More recently, Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped by a couple for 9 months. Elizabeth repeatedly had the chance to run away or ask for help but did not.Symptomatic yet again...of the Stockholm syndrome, in which she formed emotional bonds with her captors.
So what exactly is the Stockholm syndrome?
Medically, it is defined as "an extraordinary phenomenon in which a hostage begins to identify with and grow sympathetic to their captor. It is believed to be named after an episode that occurred in Stockholm in August, 1973 when an armed Swedish robber took some bank workers captive, held them for six days and apparently stole their hearts.
Most recently, the world's atention has been turned towards the case of Jaycee Lee Dougard, in the USA the who as an eleven year old girl was kidnapped by Phillip Garrido, a previously convicted sexual offender.
Then she was held by him for over 18 years, while he fathered her two children, now aged 11 and 15 respectively, all the while apparently choosing to work with him in his speciality printing business and appearing to be just like a normal every day person..
(In fact, being introduced to all his clients as his 'daughter' Alissa.)
While she has now been rescued, it is believed that Jaycee will need years and years of counselling to help her recover and come out of this Stockholme Syndrome..
And yet, there lies the frightening possibility that this Syndrome can and will be repeated, somewhere in the world, time and time again..
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