Siding with captors a way of reducing fear — psychologist

Press, 29 June 1985, Page 10

Siding with captors a way of reducing fear — psychologist

Bv

PAUL RAEBURN,

of

the Associated Press (through NZPA) New York The Americans held in Beirut could be starting to identify with their captors, as well-known psychological defence mechanisms take over to help them survive the ordeal, psychologists say. Allyn Conwell, the hostages’ spokesman, said that many of the hostages had a profound sympathy for their captors’ efforts to secure the release of prisoners held by Israel. “If someone captured my wife and children and had them across that border, I also would be taking drastic actions,” he said in an interview with A.B.C. News. Psychologists, asked about the remark, differed over whether the hostages were displaying the socalled Stockholm Syndrome, a phenomenon in which hostages begin to side with their captors against potential rescuers. “While some of the people may actually be feeling more sympathy for their captors than is warranted — the Stockholm Syndrome — others may simply be rying to ensure that their loved ones know they are all right”, said Dr. Louis

West, a psychiatrist at the University of California, Los Angeles, who has worked with the United States Embassy hostages in Iran and with prisoners of war. Dr Charles Stenger, a psychologist and former prisoner of war, said that identification with captors was the way that hostages reduced their fear.

“Hostages and prisoners of war are under such tremendous fear that they want to see the captors as less dangerous than they are”, said Dr Stenger. “If you see that person as less threatening, then you’re less scared.

“The feeling can be so strong that it persists even after the hostages or prisoners are released”, said Dr Stenger, who was held by the Germans for 5% months during World War 11. He retired in 1980 as director of the Veterans’ Administration’s psychology programme.

“The biggest threat becomes the outside forces who may irritate the captors. If there is an attempt to rescue the hostages, they can be expected to take little active role in their rescue. They’ve shut out their feelings and their own capacity to respond.” The term Stockholm Syndrome comes from the takeover in 1973 of a bank in

Stockholm, Sweden, in which hostages developed very close relationships with their captors. Dr Martin Symonds, a psychiatrist and director of the victim treatment centre at the Karen Horney Clinic in New York, explains the phenomenon as a kind of confusion.

“If someone has the power of life and death and lets you live, you get confused — you feel you owe them something. That’s a hard thing to sort out in your mind.” Dr Symonds was a member of the American Psychiatric Association’s task force on terrorism and its victims, which published its

findings a year ago. Dr Stenger said hostages and prisoners of war tended to have nightmares the rest of their lives. “On the other hand, they realise they did survive and cope with this situation, and that’s a rather important side effect,” he said. “So there are pluses and minuses.”