Informative Speech On Stockholm Syndrome

Do you remember the 2013 kidnapping case in Cleveland, Ohio where three missing women had been kept captive for over a decade? Do you remember the media frenzy that ensued after? People were questioning why three able-bodied women didn’t try to escape sooner. I was one of those people and as a psychology student I wanted to know the psychological reasoning for their behavior. That led me to Stockholm Syndrome — a rare phenomenon where captives bond with and even sympathize with their captors, sometimes to the point of affection. There are many theories and explanations about how and why this elevated form of capture-bonding develops, but they all ultimately stem from one thing, survival. Today I’m going to talk about the origin, psychology, and conflicting aspects of this phenomenon.

One reason for the apprehension is because it does not frequently happen, all data so far has been derived only from a few known case studies. There are also no way to conduct experiments because it would be unethical to put people in a hostage situation that could possibly lead to trauma. In addition, many psychologists disagree to the extent of which Stockholm Syndrome can be applied to more common situations. For instance, some people believe it is only in cases of hostage and abduction while others like clinical psychologist Dr. Joseph M Carver author of “The Mystery of Loving an Abuser” attribute it to more common instances of abuse. Dr. Carver notes in his paper that the effects and characteristics can be also are found characteristics in other types of abusive relationships such as child abuse, cult members, Holocaust survivors, domestic abuse and so on. Either way, Carver does state that in terms of criminal investigations it is actually encouraged because although it makes it harder for the victim to cooperate it also improves the chances of survival for the