Stockholm syndrome does not affect all hostages (or persons in comparable situations); in fact, a Federal Bureau ofInvestigation (FBI) study of over 1200 hostage-taking incidents found that 92% of the hostages did not develop Stockholmsyndrome. FBI researchers then interviewed flight attendants who had been taken hostage during airplane hijackings, andconcluded that three factors are necessary for the syndrome to develop:
In addition, people who often feel helpless in other stressful life situations or are willing to do anything in order to surviveseem to be more susceptible to developing Stockholm syndrome if they are taken hostage.
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedic...sinki+syndrome
- The crisis situation lasts for several days or longer.
- The hostage takers remain in contact with the hostages; that is, the hostages are not placed in a separate room.
- The hostage takers show some kindness toward the hostages or at least refrain from harming them. Hostages abusedby captors typically feel anger toward them and do not usually develop the syndrome.
In addition, people who often feel helpless in other stressful life situations or are willing to do anything in order to surviveseem to be more susceptible to developing Stockholm syndrome if they are taken hostage.
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedic...sinki+syndrome