The threatening person is perceived as showing some degree of kindness to the one being threatened. It takes only 3-4 days for the characteristic bond of the Stockholm syndrome to emerge when captor and captive are strangers. After that, research shows, the duration of captivity is no longer relevant. Victimizers' Domination Strategies Keep victims from outsiders and conceal that outsiders are concerned for their welfare. Assert control and guarantee submission by sexual abuse of females and threats of violence, which sometimes end in death.
Victimizers periodically show some kindness.
Victim as Symbolic Target Victims are held responsible for circumstances in victimizer's life. Victims' Active Strategies for Survival Victims have to concentrate on survival, requiring avoidance of direct, honest reaction to destructive treatment. Become highly attuned to pleasure and displeasure reactions of victimizers. As a result, victims know much about captors, less about themselves. Both actively develop strategies for staying alive, including denial, attentiveness to victimizer's wants, fondness for victimizer accompanied by fear, fear of interference by authorities, and adoption of victimizer's perspective.