You’ve heard the term, but what is Stockholm syndrome exactly? Britannica’s dictionary defines it as “a psychological response wherein a captive begins to identify closely with his or her captors, as well as with their agenda and demands.” Essentially, it’s a coping mechanism that kidnapped victims have been found to feel in horribly stressful situations like kidnapping. While it’s psychologically awful and harrowing, there is a sense and need for order in the chaos which often makes the victim—grasping for anything positive at all—to empathize with their tormenter.