As the stories of the two kidnapped boys recently returned to their families in St. Louis unfold—particularly that of Shawn Hornbeck, the young man abducted in 2002 at the age of 11, who despite living in plain sight of neighbors never fled—you may hear or read about references to Stockholm syndrome.
What is it?
Merriam-Webster defines Stockholm syndrome as “the psychological tendency of a hostage to bond with, identify with, or sympathize with his or her captor.” The name stems from a 1973 botched bank robbery in Stockholm, Sweden, where hostages sympathized with their captors. One even set up a defense fund for the captors after the ordeal.
Famous cases
Perhaps the most famous case of the syndrome is that of Patty Hearst. Heir to the Hearst family newspaper fortune, she was kidnapped in 1974 by members of the Symbionese Liberation Army, a small but infamous radical group from Berkeley, Calif. The SLA used violence in the early 1970s to gain attention for their causes, including prison reform. While captive, Hearst appeared to support SLA ideals, denounced her family, and was caught on tape participating in a bank robbery with the group in San Francisco, for which she was later charged. At trial the defense said she was brainwashed and abused.
The big picture
Stockholm syndrome doesn’t happen in every kidnap situation. In fact the opposite can occur—where the captor develops sympathy for the captive—referred to as Lima syndrome. In the case of Hornbeck, Stockholm syndrome would have been over-ridden “by the 11-year-old’s need to have someone take care of him,” says Thomas Conran, Ph.D., a family therapist and clinical psychologist in St. Louis, who told the WeeklyDIVA, “you kind of cave in as an 11-year-old.”
While it may be tough to wrap your brain around, one can only imagine the manipulation Hornbeck suffered to not escape when seemingly he might have. Investigators say he was kidnapped at gunpoint and that the alleged kidnapper threatened to kill his entire family if he fled. Says Conran: “We want to compliment Shawn for his cleverness in staying alive.”
One more thing…
For those of us at the WeeklyDIVA, this serves as a reminder of the importance of speaking up when something appears to be wrong—neighbors told reporters they often heard loud noises coming from the apartment.
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