Stockholm Syndrome

The Stockholm syndrome is the psychological tendency of a hostage to bond with, identify with, or sympathize with his or her captor.

What causes Stockholm syndrome? Captives begin to identify with their captors initially as a defensive mechanism, out of fear of violence. Small acts of kindness by the captor are magnified, since finding perspective in a hostage situation is by definition impossible. Rescue attempts are also seen as a threat, since it's likely the captive would be injured during such attempts.

It's important to note that these symptoms occur under tremendous emotional and often physical duress. The behavior is considered a common survival strategy for victims of interpersonal abuse, and has been observed in abused children, prisoners of war, and concentration camp survivors.