Stockholm Syndrome:What causes?

On Aug 23, 1973, three women and a man were taken hostage in Kreditbanken, a bank in Stockholm, Sweden. Their captors, both ex-convicts, held them hostage for six days. At the end of their ordeal, the victims actually resisted rescue attempts. They later refused to testify against the criminals. Such was their bizarre state of mind that two of the women even got engaged to their captors. This baffling behaviour created the term “Stockholm syndrome.”

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 battered spouses, abused children, prisoners of war, and concentration camp survivors.