Stockholm Syndrome
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Stockholm Syndrome
Brian Perry – G00059466
CJ416 Victimology
25 OCT 2010
Abstract
Why is Stockholm Syndrome so prevalent in child abduction cases? What happens to the victim psychologically, emotionally, and physically during their captivity. How do they cope with the crisis they are dealing with? The Stockholm Syndrome is a coping mechanism hat allows victims the ability to deal with their captivity. It essentially becomes a bond with their captors and the feelings of helplessness are less avowed due to the reliance on them for support and also out of initial fear. We will examine this issue and also will include one case that is well known and just happened recently in the US.
Stockholm Syndrome describes the behavior of kidnap victims who, over time, become sympathetic to their captors. The name derives from a 1973 hostage incident in Stockholm, Sweden. At the end of six days of captivity in a bank, several kidnap victims actually resisted rescue attempts, and afterwards refused to testify against their captors. The behavior is considered a common survival strategy for victims of interpersonal abuse, and has been observed in battered spouses, abused children, prisoners of war, and concentration camp survivors.
Effects on a child: When a child is abducted, depending on the age, they may or may not develop a fight or flight response. Many children, after the initial shock and fear of the abduction, begin to become dependent on their abductors for survival. Many children fear never seeing their family again for fear of their family being harmed if they try to
Stockholm Syndrome
Brian Perry – G00059466
CJ416 Victimology
25 OCT 2010
Abstract
Why is Stockholm Syndrome so prevalent in child abduction cases? What happens to the victim psychologically, emotionally, and physically during their captivity. How do they cope with the crisis they are dealing with? The Stockholm Syndrome is a coping mechanism hat allows victims the ability to deal with their captivity. It essentially becomes a bond with their captors and the feelings of helplessness are less avowed due to the reliance on them for support and also out of initial fear. We will examine this issue and also will include one case that is well known and just happened recently in the US.
Stockholm Syndrome describes the behavior of kidnap victims who, over time, become sympathetic to their captors. The name derives from a 1973 hostage incident in Stockholm, Sweden. At the end of six days of captivity in a bank, several kidnap victims actually resisted rescue attempts, and afterwards refused to testify against their captors. The behavior is considered a common survival strategy for victims of interpersonal abuse, and has been observed in battered spouses, abused children, prisoners of war, and concentration camp survivors.
Effects on a child: When a child is abducted, depending on the age, they may or may not develop a fight or flight response. Many children, after the initial shock and fear of the abduction, begin to become dependent on their abductors for survival. Many children fear never seeing their family again for fear of their family being harmed if they try to
References: cited: Serial Murderers and Their Victims. (E W Hickey) Fifth Edition, Chapter 10: Victims, Luring Children Pages 296-299 Crime Victims: An Introduction To Victimology. (Andrew Karmen) Chapter 8: Children as Victims, Pages 203-211 http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1919757,00.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_syndrome http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaycee_Dugard