The Theory of Traumatic Bonding

Research addressing trauma of victims has shown how women cope by denying treats and emotionally withdrawing. Their actions merely become a form of survival. In some cases, there is little anger towards the victimizer, and in some cases the feelings are positive like sympathizing with the victimizer, having admiration for them and even having feelings for their victimizer (Stuart von Wormer & Bartollas, 2011). This form of emotional bonding with an abuser/victimizer is referred to as Stockholm syndrome (Stockholm Syndrome, 2011). This is a phenomenon that was named after an incident that occurred in Stockholm, Sweden. In this incident, “four bank employees were held hostage in the bank’s vault for four days” (Stuart von Wormer & Bartollas, 2011, p. 251). The victim’s response was one of gratitude towards their offenders. This type of response was disturbing to many people most likely because people make distinctions like the victimizer is the bad guy and the victim is the innocent one. However, distinctions like those are never so clean cut.

In the case of Stockholm syndrome, there is an emotional bond that development between individuals who shared a life threatening experience. This has been viewed as an adaptive human response to violent scenarios. Captors may exhibit intermitted forms of kindness which may cause a victim to bond with their captor (Stuart von Wormer & Bartollas, 2011). In general, Stockholm syndrome is perceived as commonly occurring in hostage situations. The main reasons are there is a development that occurs in the relationship between the abuser and the captor in which threats of violence, disempowerment of the subject, and subjections to high levels of stress or trauma all lead to dependence...

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...rtollas, 2011).

References:

Krasnec, K. (2008). Stockholm Syndrome: Unequal Power Relationships. Retrieved from http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1896

Stockholm Syndrome. (2011). Retrieved from RAINN: http://www.rainn.org/get-information/effects-of-sexual-assault/stockholm-syndrome

Stuart Van Wormer, K. & Bartollas, C. (2011). Women and the criminal justice system, Third Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

References:

Krasnec, K. (2008). Stockholm Syndrome: Unequal Power Relationships. Retrieved from http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1896

Stockholm Syndrome. (2011). Retrieved from RAINN: http://www.rainn.org/get-information/effects-of-sexual-assault/stockholm-syndrome

Stuart Van Wormer, K. & Bartollas, C. (2011). Women and the criminal justice system, Third Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.