ABSTRACT
Many believe the Stockholm Syndrome is a reciprocal relationship. The Stockholm Syndrome seems to be an automatic, probably unconscious, emotional response to the trauma of becoming a victim. It dates back through many years of human reactions to the stress of captivity. Several theories have been advanced in an attempt to explain the observable symptoms that law enforcement and members of the psychiatric community have come to call the Stockholm Syndrome. Though identification with the aggressor is an attractive explanation for the Stockholm Syndrome, and may indeed be a factor in some hostage situations, it is not a total explanation for the phenomenon. Time is a factor in the development of the Stockholm Syndrome. Its passage can produce a positive or negative bond, depending on the interaction of the subjects and hostages. As time passes and positive contact between the hostage and hostage taker begins, the Stockholm Syndrome also can have an effect upon the subject.
