History of Stockholm syndrome in Timeline

Stockholm syndrome describes the paradoxical psychological bond that can develop between hostages and their captors. The term originated from a 1973 bank robbery in Stockholm, where hostages appeared to defend their captors. This bond can form from shared intimate time, but it’s viewed by some as irrational considering the danger hostages face. Critically, Stockholm syndrome is not formally recognized as a psychiatric disorder in the DSM due to limited research and questions about its validity.

1973: Kreditbanken Hostage Crisis

In 1973, Jan-Erik Olsson, a convict on parole, initiated a failed bank robbery at Kreditbanken in Stockholm, taking four employees hostage. He requested the release of his friend Clark Olofsson to assist him, and together they held the hostages captive in a bank vault for six days (August 23-28).

1973: Stockholm Bank Robbery

In 1973, an incident occurred in Stockholm, Sweden, where four people were held hostage during a bank robbery and subsequently defended their captors. This event gave rise to the term "Stockholm syndrome."

1973: Term 'Stockholm Syndrome' Invented

In 1973, following a bank robbery in Stockholm, the police sought assistance from Swedish criminologist and psychiatrist Nils Bejerot to analyze the victims' reactions. Bejerot described the hostages' reactions as a result of being brainwashed by their captors, coining the term Norrmalmstorgssyndromet, later known as Stockholm syndrome.

1974: Patty Hearst Kidnapping

In 1974, Patty Hearst, granddaughter of William Randolph Hearst, was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA). She later denounced her family and the police, adopting the name "Tania," and was involved in bank robberies with the SLA.

1975: Patty Hearst's Arrest

In 1975, Patty Hearst was arrested. Her defense, citing what would later be known as Stockholm syndrome, was unsuccessful. She received a seven-year prison sentence, which was later commuted, and eventually she was pardoned by President Bill Clinton.

1980: London Syndrome Origin

In 1980, the name London Syndrome originated from the siege of the Iranian Embassy in London, during which 26 hostages were taken. One hostage's repeated arguments with the captors led to his execution, prompting a special forces attack.

1982: Study on Brainwashing and Stockholm Syndrome

In 1982, Robbins and Anthony, who studied destructive cult disorder, noted that the 1970s were marked by apprehension about brainwashing risks. Media attention to brainwashing contributed to the acceptance of Stockholm syndrome as a psychological condition.

1989: FBI and University of Vermont Survey

In 1989, an FBI and University of Vermont survey of 600 police agencies found no instances where emotional involvement between victims and kidnappers jeopardized an assault, supporting the notion that Stockholm syndrome is rare.

1996: Lima Syndrome Proposed

In 1996, the concept of Lima syndrome, an inversion of Stockholm syndrome where abductors develop sympathy for their hostages, was named after an abduction at the Japanese embassy in Lima, Peru. Members of a militant movement took hundreds of people hostage during a party at the ambassador's residence.

1999: FBI Report on Hostage Incidents

In 1999, an FBI report analyzing over 1,200 hostage incidents indicated that 8% of kidnapping victims showed signs of Stockholm syndrome, decreasing to 5% when victims with negative feelings toward law enforcement were excluded, suggesting that Stockholm syndrome is a rare occurrence.

2008: Literature Review of Stockholm Syndrome Diagnoses

In 2008, a literature review revealed that most diagnoses of Stockholm syndrome are made by the media, not by psychologists or psychiatrists.

2015: Presentation on the Myth of Stockholm Syndrome

At the Dignity Conference in 2015, Dr. Allan Wade presented "The myth of 'Stockholm Syndrome' (and other concepts invented to discredit women victims of violence)" after interviewing Kristin Enmark, arguing that the concept and related ideas shift focus from actual events to invented pathologies in victims' minds.

2019: Jess Hill's Critique of Stockholm Syndrome

In 2019, Australian journalist Jess Hill, in her treatise on domestic violence See What You Made Me Do, described Stockholm syndrome as a "dubious pathology with no diagnostic criteria," and stated that it is "riddled with misogyny and founded on a lie".