History UsefulNotes / StockholmSyndrome

* AMatchMadeInStockholm: two people end up becoming lovers or friends after one kidnaps the other
* AbductionIsLove: the invoked version, where someone does a kidnapping with the goal of forming a relationship with their captive

The main associated trope is AMatchMadeInStockholm, where two people end up becoming lovers or friends after one kidnaps the other. There's also its invoked version, AbductionIsLove.

Many of these stories feel forced, starting with captivity and jumping straight to love. The most realistic depictions of Stockholm Syndrome include not only the kindnesses, but also the extended time needed, and clear isolation from outside influences.

There's a [[https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/6270898 recorded phone call]] between Enmark and Sweden's then-prime minister Olaf Palme where she says, "What I'm scared of is that the police will attack and cause us to die." Palme says they can't comply with the demands of criminals and that, "You will have to content yourself that you will have died at your post." She is appalled.

Nils Bejerot, psychiatrist consultant to the Stockholm police, never met with the captives himself, but publicly declared that they had "Norrmalmstorg Syndrome" (later "Stockholm Syndrome") -- a condition he had just made up. The concept was coined in part to deflect blame from the police. The captives responded as they did because they were ''brainwashed'', this was a ''syndrome''. Not because they had understandable or legitimate criticisms about how the police handled the situation -- no, definitely not ''that''.

[[/index]]

The main associated trope is AMatchMadeInStockholm, where two people end up becoming lovers or friends after one kidnaps the other. There's also its InvokedTrope version, AbductionIsLove. Other associated tropes include:

The main associated trope is AMatchMadeInStockholm, where two people end up becoming lovers or friends after one kidnaps the other. Other associated tropes include:

* AbductionIsLove

[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_syndrome Stockholm syndrome]] is a a proposed condition in which kidnapped victims develop loyalty, sympathy, or affection (sometimes even sexual attraction) for a captor.

The term was initially coined to refer to hostages and captors in a HostageSituation. Over time, with concept creep, it has come to be applied to virtually ''any'' situation where Alice feels sympathy or fondness for someone Bob thinks she ought not feel it for. The popular extension is women who [[LoveMartyr decide to stay with]] a partner who [[DomesticAbuse abuses them]].

The concept has never has wide-scale clinical acceptance, and never appeared in the DSM or any international classification system of psychiatry.

Because Sweden's usually pretty peaceful, the police weren't trained in hostage negations. In exchange for the captive's release, Olsson demanded a bunch of money, the release of his prison buddy Clark Olofsson, and a getaway car. Olofsson was delivered; the getaway car was not. Olsson and Olofsson wanted to leave in a getaway car ''with the hostages'' to ensure there was no CarChaseShootOut, with the promise they'd release the hostages later once they were away. The hostages trusted them and were on board with this plan. The police refused. In rejecting this peaceful release plan, the police basically ensured this ''had'' to end in some dangerous storming-the-building thing -- an escalation where the captives might get killed.

Many of these stories feel forced, starting with captivity and jumping straight to love. The most realistic depictions of Stockholm Syndrome in this manner of the story include not only the kindnesses, but also the extended time needed, and clear isolation from outside influences.

The term was initially coined to refer to hostages and captors in a HostageSituation. Over time, with concept creep, it has come to be applied to virtually ''any'' situation, most popularly [[LoveMartyr women who elect to stay with]] a partner who [[DomesticAbuse abuses them]].

Nils Bejerot, psychiatrist consultant to the Stockholm police, never met with the captives himself, but publicly declared that they had "Norrmalmstorg Syndrome" (later "Stockholm Syndrome") -- a condition he had just made up. The concept was coined in part to deflect blame from the police. The captives responded as they did because they were ''brainwashed'', they had a ''syndrome''. Not because they had understandable or legitimate criticisms about how the police handled the situation -- no, definitely not ''that''.

Stockholm syndrome is named after the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norrmalmstorg_robbery Norrmalmstorg robbery]], a 6-day long HostageSituation in 1973 at the Kreditbanken bank in Norrmalmstorg Square, Stockholm. Jan-Erik "Janne" Olsson (a dude on release from prison) took 4 bank employees captive (Birgitta Lundblad, Elisabeth Oldgren, Kristin Enmark, and Sven Säfström). The captives came to trust their captors more than the police. At the end of the standoff, when they parted ways, the convicts and hostages embraced and ([[ForeignFarewell in a European way]]) kissed goodbye. They captives later refused to testify against their captors.

The term was initially coined to refer to hostages and captors in a HostageSituation. Over time, with concept creep, it has come to be applied to virtually ''any'' situation, most popularly [[DomesticAbuse abusive marriages or relationships]].