Stockholm Syndrome | Healthy Life

Stockholm Syndrome

download (2)The syndrome of S. promotes incredible emotional relationships among the victims of kidnapping and their kidnappers seems to be an emotional response automatic, often unconscious, to the trauma of becoming hostage and involves both the hostages the kidnappers.

 

It consists generally of three phases: positive feelings towards their captors of the hostages, the hostages negative feelings against the police or other government authorities, and reciprocity of positive feelings on the part of sequestratori.Il term syndrome S. was used for the first time since Conrad Hassel, FBI special agent, following a famous incident that occurred in Sweden between 25 and 28 August 1973: Two robbers were held hostage for 131 hours four employees (three women and a man) in the security room of Sveriges Kreditbank Stockholm. Although their lives were continually put at risk during the period of imprisonment, which was followed with particular attention by the media, it turned out that the victims feared the police more than they feared the kidnappers, that one of the victims developed a strong bond romantically involved with one of the kidnappers (which lasted even after the episode) and that, after release, was asked by the kidnappers seized the clemency for and during the process some of the hostages testified in their favor. Emotional situations similar to those described in the original case have been reflected in numerous other incidents of kidnapping, arousing the same hype. This syndrome can affect hostages and kidnappers of all ages, of both sexes, of all nationalities and regardless of their socio-cultural environment. Some factors will facilitate the onset: the duration and intensity of the experience, dependence hostage by the offender for his survival and the psychological distance hostage by the authorities. The seizure may be for political, terrorist, for extortion, for rapina.Sembrerebbe that the positive linkages between kidnapper and kidnapped are not formed immediately, but prove to be solid enough by the 3rd day of captivity. This could be justified by the fact that in the first moments after the kidnapped kidnapping experience a total state of confusion, found also in some typical responses to trauma: denial, get the illusion of liberation, frantic activity and examination of conscience. Once past the initial trauma, the victim returns aware of the situation that is living and must find a way to endure this, together with increasing time spent together between victim and abductor and isolation from the rest of the world, facilitates’ alliance with the kidnapper. The lack of strong negative experiences, such as beatings, rape or physical abuse, facilitates the genesis of the syndrome less intense abuse, deprivation and humiliation tend, however, to be rationalized and the victims are convinced that the strong showing of the kidnapper is necessary to control the situation or justified by their misbehavior. Often the link between kidnapper and kidnapped begins on the basis of a common resentment against the police, who in most cases is perceived as threatening dall’ostaggio: the insistence by the yield of the criminal and the possibility of asking the raid victim in a constant state of anxiety and fear for their safety. In addition, the police are seen as less powerful of the offender himself, because they have failed their protective role as guarantors of public order since the seizure took place. Once developed is not yet known with precision the possible duration of this syndrome, but it seems there may be even for several years. However, it should be noted that even in those who developed the syndrome of S. were seen after a long time: sleep disturbances, nightmares, phobias, sudden startle, flashbacks and depression.

Causes


Various explanations have been given to this phenomenon. Some authors believe that this bond is derived from the state of dependence that develops between the concrete kidnapped and his captors latter controlling food, air, water and survival essentials, reinforcements, from a behavioral point of view, when they are granted, justify the gratitude and the gratitude that the hostages manifest towards their captors. Other authors, the majority to tell the truth, instead tackles the phenomenon from a psychoanalytic point of view, most typically in general, it could be argued that the self in an attempt to find a balance between the demands of the id instinctive and a distressing reality, can not help but put in place defensive mechanisms.

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