The case of the two abducted boys rescued in Missouri has revived my long-standing curiosity about the Stockholm syndrome, which I understand can affect adults as well as children. Patty Hearst was apparently a victim of it, as was Stephen Stayner, Elizabeth Smart, and some others I can't recall right now. I like to think that if I were ever held hostage, I would never stop looking for a chance to escape or summon help, but who knows for sure how they would react in that situation? I guess no two circumstances are the same.
I was very impressed by Shawn Hornbeck's stepfather, Clay Akers, after watching him answer questions at a press conference. He was very articulate, intelligent, and sympathetic to Shawn's situation. The boy is lucky to have such an understanding stepfather.
I'm sure more details will emerge as time goes on. My first thoughts when I heard all this were of my own father. If I had been kidnapped as a child and held for four years, he would have been terribly hurt if I had ignored chances to escape or notify authorities. He probably never would have understood or forgiven me for prolonging his pain. I might have felt the same if it happened to one of my own children.
It's an almost impossible conflict—to balance the child's fears (and who knows what experiences) with the parents' anxiety and dread of the worst outcome. I wish the Akers family all the best.
