Althouse: "While physical violence is incredibly detrimental, the emotional enslavement extends beyond physical infliction."

May 23, 2014

"While physical violence is incredibly detrimental, the emotional enslavement extends beyond physical infliction."

"'Captors convince their victims that they have eyes everywhere and that even their thoughts are not safe,' [says Farrah Parker, executive director for the City of Los Angeles Commission on the Status of Women], adding that if a victim’s self-esteem, self-worth, hope, and belief in humanity have all been deflated, 'then she cannot conceptualize life beyond captivity.'"

From an article titled "California kidnapping case: Why didn't woman seek help years ago?/The woman who told police she was kidnapped at age 15, sexually abused, and forced to marry her abductor, reportedly had a car and Internet access. But captors can have a powerful emotional hold, experts say."

11 comments:

SGT Ted said...: Stockholm syndrome is very real and may be a survival trait from the days of raiding each others tribes for resources and women.; 5/23/14, 8:28 AM
pdug said...: Ever since I read about narratives of many white settler women who were captured by Indian raiders who refused to return to white society, I've wondered if evolution hasn't given women a 'switch' that turns on a Stockholm syndrome-like response when the other tribe comes and kills all the men and takes their women.

Do we ever hear of men with Stockholm syndrome (does anyone kidnap men? I guess Dahlmer did, but he didn't try to keep them around long term); 5/23/14, 8:30 AM
traditionalguy said...: Keeping your captives believing that it is their own damn fault for being worthless is man's oldest game. It is useful to Kings, Clerics, and workforce motivators in all societies.

Basic gospel Christianity is the only antidote to that poison. It teaches men to see themselves as worthy in God's eyes. Ergo: Christianity is a danger to the control system unless modified from its original teachings by the traditions of crafty men.; 5/23/14, 8:42 AM
Insufficiently Sensitive said...: Patty Hearst. Rest my case.; 5/23/14, 9:05 AM
Doug said...: if a victim’s self-esteem, self-worth, hope, and belief in humanity have all been deflated, 'then she cannot conceptualize life beyond captivity.'"
Well, this victim obviously could conceptualize life beyond captivity, because the guy is now under arrest.; 5/23/14, 9:32 AM
Levi Starks said...: Why is there a commission on the status of women?
If I were a woman I would find it demeaning.; 5/23/14, 9:36 AM
Biff said...: There is a well-documented psychological phenomenon called "learned helplessness" that may be in play here. Learned helplessness has been documented across species, never mind across genders. A subject experiencing learned helplessness will not even make an effort to avoid unpleasant stimulus, even if an escape path is apparent. Essentially, the subject comes to believe that no possible action will improve the situation or make a difference in the situation, so they "stay put" and accept whatever comes their way.; 5/23/14, 10:08 AM
Christopher said...: Ever since I read about narratives of many white settler women who were captured by Indian raiders who refused to return to white society, I've wondered if evolution hasn't given women a 'switch' that turns on a Stockholm syndrome-like response when the other tribe comes and kills all the men and takes their women.

I'm no expert but having read multiple accounts of the settling of the American West, in most cases we're talking about quite young women, girls, kids, who remained alive if they were cooperative enough in the beginning and ultimately useful to the tribe. For those who lived long enough, by the time some of these people were found by their original white families, they had adapted to life in the tribe and formed genuine attachments to them. Some were conflicted about this, others perhaps less so, but as you know there are some very sad examples of survivors who were no longer culturally white American and who lived, and died, miserably once they were returned.

I don't know how much this has to do with this story, and I'm skeptical of some special Female Stockholm Switch in these cases (though I'm by no means all-nurture, no-nature when it comes to the sexes, far from it).; 5/23/14, 11:42 AM
Anonymous said...: Having been in law enforcement for almost two decades I've learned that there is a whole world out there of "forced play" or "rape play". The world of BDSM where women are usually slaves and men are usually masters, although there are times these rolls are reversed.

Do these theories take into account that sometimes, this is what people want? How they desire to be treated?

You and I may think it's sick and disturbing, hell, that's what I think of homosexuality.

But we've stopped believing homosexuality is a mental problem, why not this?; 5/23/14, 11:57 AM
wildswan said...: I'd like to know what her sister's Facebook page said. Maybe the Facebook page mentioned her missing sister and then the captive realized she had a world to go to.; 5/23/14, 2:45 PM
Skyler said...: Another way of calling them the weaker sex.; 5/23/14, 5:19 PM