The phenomenon where the victim forms a deep emotional bond with the abuser has been observed in various situations, namely, situations involving child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and kidnapping. This psychological phenomenon is known as Trauma Bonding or Stockholm syndrome. Despite the damaging bond between the victim of abuse and the abuser, the victim develops a strong sense of affection and loyalty towards the abuser. (Reid, Haskell, Dillahunt-Aspillaga, Thor; 2013)
This type of bonding was initially associated with kidnapping or hostage relationships. However, now this has extended to many forms of relationships, namely, child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, kidnapping, fraternities/sororities, and elder abuse. (Bachand, Djak; 2018)
According to National Domestic Violence Hotline, unhealthy attachment is seen to be one of the key contributors to a traumatic bond. A traumatic bond is usually caused when the primary source of support is the abuser. The victim rationalizes this relationship because when they are hurt, the only person they turn to for comfort is the abuser, although the abuser may be the cause of pain.
Dependence is considered to be another contributor. This is because the victim relies on the perpetrator for comfort, and this emotional support brings about a sense of security for the victim. For example, a girl may rely on her best friend for love and support. In such situations, even if the ‘best friend’ is abusive, she might ignore or oversee abuse attempts and mark them as being ”normal” and be unable to see the abusive side of this relationship. (Bachand, Djak; 2018)
Let’s look into the cycle of a traumatic bond with the help of an example. In an abusive romantic relationship, the dominating partner occasionally portrays his love for his partner, shows concern for their well-being, and buys them gifts and flowers to prove their love. Now the partner (victim) thinks of these as gestures of love. However, these “gestures of love” eventually become a medium to overshadow all of the abuse they caused. These gestures are used to regain their trust, making them ignore and suppress all of the abusive memories of the past, and this gives them a head start to begin the cycle once again.
A study on survivors of sex trafficking talks about how trauma bonding has now become a troubling and rampant issue and is harming many victims, especially victims of sex trafficking, and in conclusion, the paper mentions that there are a few implications for future research and policy. They are:
● Instruments must be developed to identify and measure trauma bonding effectively.
● Legislators must take into account the presence of trauma bonds and draft laws for the protection of these victims and also check how these bonds affect the behaviors of the victims
● A concise definition of trauma bonding needs to be developed and could be included in an updated version of the DSM- 5. (Casassa, Knight and Mengo; 2021)
References
Joan A. Reid, Rachael A. Haskell, Christina Dillahunt-Aspillaga and Jennifer A. Thor.
(2013) Contemporary Review of Empirical and Clinical STudies of Trauma Bonding in
Violent or Exploitative Relationships
Bachand, C., & Djak, N.
(2018)Stockholm Syndrome in Athletics: A Paradox. Children Australia, 43(3),
175-180. doi:10.1017/cha.2018.31
me-in-athletics-a-paradox/DD5E8799C18FEA1A777AC03E6B8B04A6
Casassa K, Knight L, Mengo C.
Trauma Bonding Perspectives From Service Providers and Survivors of Sex Trafficking:
A Scoping Review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse. January 2021.
doi:10.1177/1524838020985542
