Why Didn’t Jaycee Run Away?

Jaycee Lee Dugard, held captive for 18 years in this backyard shack, likely transferred her allegiance to her captors, Nancy and Phillip Garrido, as a survival mechanism. Here's how the psychological phenomenon—known as Stockholm Syndrome—happens.

1. Gratitude Toward Captor
Strange as it may sound, many victims are simply thankful to be alive. Indeed, children kidnapped by strangers rarely survive; 91 percent are killed within 24 hours.

2 . Trust in Captor
In addition to gratitude, kidnapping victims are desperate to believe that the perpetrator has their best interests at heart—and begin to project feelings of genuine care and concern onto the very person who abducted them.

3. Rejection of Rescuers
With positive feelings firmly in place—and no salvation in sight—Jaycee may have believed (or been told) that her parents didn't love her and weren't looking for her. All the more reason to bond with her captors.

4. Identification with Captor
Research on Stockholm syndrome indicates that the younger the victims—and the longer their isolation—the more easily they adopt their captor's point of view.

5. Assisting Captor
In light of the previous factors, Jaycee's participation in Phillip Garrido's printing business should be seen as a survival mechanism rather than a true expression of her will.

6. Reluctance to Escape
Once the brainwashing is complete, victims are frequently given greater freedom, since their imprisonment is primarily psychological rather than merely physical.