What is Stockholm syndrome? It all started with a bank robbery 50 years ago

This week marks 50 years since a failed bank robbery that gave rise to Stockholm syndrome, a term used to describe the bond that victims of kidnappings or hostage situations sometimes develop with their captors. It has since been applied to a series of hostage-takings around the world including the kidnapping of newspaper heiress Patty Hearst in the 1970s. In some cases, hostages or kidnapping victims may develop sympathies for their captors and their cause or demands and even turn against the police. Experts describe it as a psychological coping mechanism used by some hostages to endure the trauma of being held captive and abused.