In California, the case of Jaycee Lee Dugard became front-page news in 2009, and the trial of her kidnappers will take place in 2010. Dugard was kidnapped, raped and held captive for 18 years by Phillip Garrido. Over the years, Dugard had many chances to escape or to get help, so many have asked, why didn't she? This response by prisoners is common, as exhibited by the many captives seen in this recent Time article, and is explained as something called Stockholm Syndrome.

When first interviewed by parole officers who were suspicious of her abductor, Jaycee Lee Dugard did not reveal her identity. Instead, she told investigators she was a battered wife from Minnesota who was hiding from her abusive husband, and described Garrido as a "great person" who was "good with her kids." Why would Dugard say these things, even in safe custody of law enforcement?

Stockholm Syndrome is a psychological change that occurs in captives when they are seriously in danger, but are shown acts of kindheartedness by their captors. Captives who exhibit Stockholm Syndrome tend to empathize with and think well and positively of their captors. Such captives fail to identify that their captors' choices are in effect self-serving to only the captors, because the captives are being held against their will. When subjected to prolonged imprisonment, these captives can develop a strong relationship with their captors, in some cases including a mutual sexual interest.

According to the psychoanalytic view of this syndrome, this propensity might be the consequence of employing the strategy evolved by newborn babies to form an emotional connection to the closest authoritative figure in order to increase the likelihood that this adult will facilitate for the survival of the child, if not also prove to be a solid parental figure. In the Dugard case, Garrido seemed to fill that role for her, and therefore, was able to make her trust him for 18 long years.