On August 23, 1973, the bank robbery and hostage situation at Sveriges Kreditbanken in Stockholm’s Norrmalmstorg square led to the coining of the term “Stockholm syndrome.” The perpetrator, Jan-Erik Olsson, an escaped prisoner, held four bank employees captive for five days, demanding money, a getaway car, and the release of a friend from prison. Despite fulfilling his demands, Olsson did not release the hostages or leave the bank until tear gas was fired in, leading to his arrest. The hostages had a strange bond with their captors, causing mental health professionals to study the phenomenon.
During the hostage situation, the captives developed a bond with Olsson and Olofsson, showing concern for their welfare and even accepting gifts from them. One hostage, Elisabeth Oldgren, was allowed out of the bank vault due to claustrophobia, attached to a rope. Another captive, Kristin Enmark, expressed trust in the captors and fear of a police attack, insisting that they leave the vault before the robbers. The robbers were eventually arrested without incident and sentenced to prison, later being visited by their former hostages. Olsson and Olofsson have since been released.
The term “Stockholm syndrome” was created by a criminologist and psychologist to describe the behavior exhibited by the hostages during the bank robbery. Those with Stockholm syndrome show positive feelings toward their captors, sympathy for them, and negative feelings toward authorities. While not officially recognized by the American Psychiatric Association, health care providers acknowledge the behaviors resulting from traumatic situations. The criteria and treatments for Stockholm syndrome often overlap with those for post-traumatic stress disorder or acute stress disorder.
The concept of Stockholm syndrome gained further recognition with the 1974 kidnapping of Patty Hearst, a newspaper heiress, by the Symbionese Liberation Army. Hearst, who was 19 at the time, joined her captors and participated in a bank robbery, claiming she had been brainwashed and abused. Despite her defense, she was found guilty and sentenced to prison until being pardoned by President Jimmy Carter in 1979. The case of Hearst raised awareness of Stockholm syndrome and its psychological implications, highlighting the complex relationship between captors and hostages during traumatic events.
The behavior displayed by the hostages in the Stockholm bank robbery shed light on the psychological impact of traumatic situations and the formation of unusual bonds between captors and captives. This phenomenon, later termed Stockholm syndrome, has been studied by mental health professionals to understand the complexities of human behavior under extreme stress. The case of Olsson and Olofsson, along with subsequent incidents like the Patty Hearst kidnapping, have contributed to the recognition and exploration of Stockholm syndrome in various contexts. Despite its controversial nature, the concept continues to be discussed and analyzed in the field of psychology.
