Why Is Stockholm Syndrome Important?
Why is Stockholm Syndrome Important?
According to Laura Lambert in Britannica School, "Stockholm syndrome is a psychological response wherein a captive begins to identify closely with his or her captors, as well as with their agenda and demands” (Lambert). This term first originated from a botched six-day bank robbery in 1973, where Patty Hearst, an heiress, was taken captive. Once freed, she began to display symptoms such as kindness and sympathy towards her captors, and lauded their objectives. Her reaction led to a confused and disgusted public outcry, simply because the general people did not have enough information behind her illness. This, in turn, led to their overwhelming amount of judgmental opinions. In order to avoid possible negative reactions due to misinformed judgment, it is important to raise more awareness of Stockholm Syndrome. ignorant This illness does not occur randomly - there …show more content…
Once hostages are finally rescued from their captors and their Stockholm Syndrome symptoms are made public, their social standing often decreases. Their families and friends, who cannot fathom why their loved one adopted such a positive outlook on their captors during their time in captivity, begin to distance themselves because of the social stigma the Stockholm Syndrome brings with it. As a result, the victims deal with the resulting social stigma and fallout by turning to drugs, petty crime, or individuals similar in personality to their captors - often criminals (Frey). Such actions typically reinforce a negative opinion by others, perpetuating a cycle of stigma. This cycle could be broken if victims were more welcome and accepted by their family and friends, rather than judged for their actions and views. By raising awareness for this subject, the peers, as well as the public, will be more educated and more likely to cope better with the
According to Laura Lambert in Britannica School, "Stockholm syndrome is a psychological response wherein a captive begins to identify closely with his or her captors, as well as with their agenda and demands” (Lambert). This term first originated from a botched six-day bank robbery in 1973, where Patty Hearst, an heiress, was taken captive. Once freed, she began to display symptoms such as kindness and sympathy towards her captors, and lauded their objectives. Her reaction led to a confused and disgusted public outcry, simply because the general people did not have enough information behind her illness. This, in turn, led to their overwhelming amount of judgmental opinions. In order to avoid possible negative reactions due to misinformed judgment, it is important to raise more awareness of Stockholm Syndrome. ignorant This illness does not occur randomly - there …show more content…
Once hostages are finally rescued from their captors and their Stockholm Syndrome symptoms are made public, their social standing often decreases. Their families and friends, who cannot fathom why their loved one adopted such a positive outlook on their captors during their time in captivity, begin to distance themselves because of the social stigma the Stockholm Syndrome brings with it. As a result, the victims deal with the resulting social stigma and fallout by turning to drugs, petty crime, or individuals similar in personality to their captors - often criminals (Frey). Such actions typically reinforce a negative opinion by others, perpetuating a cycle of stigma. This cycle could be broken if victims were more welcome and accepted by their family and friends, rather than judged for their actions and views. By raising awareness for this subject, the peers, as well as the public, will be more educated and more likely to cope better with the