Rants: The Things That Piss Me Off On Wattpad

Falling In Love w/ your Kidnapper

Okay, mainly bringing this up as I have something similar in the works, but I need to talk about this as I see many books following a cliche here and not showing the true danger of Stockholm Syndrome.

If someone were to kidnap you and you started to fall for them, it's Stockholm syndrome. This is not genuine love.

I am stating this as someone who's studied and researched SS for a long time, for at least 5 years, for a fanfiction I did for a character called Kanato Sakamaki with my own character (there's no way she would've fallen for him normally) and now for a book somewhat inspired by my fanfiction of those two together.

Most books here that have a kidnapper and the victim falling in love is a genuine love and romance where they care for one another. This is not realistic one bit.

Most times if you fall for your kidnapper, it's a method of survival.

Oh, they didn't hit you today, that means they were kind, right?
^This mentality is what develops Stockholm syndrome and creates a fake love that can mess with the victim and the victim doesn't realize it. It is an actual mental illness that delusionizes its victim.

When this stuff happens, it is stemming from a toxic relationship. And the typical toxic relationship that causes this is abuse, mental and/or physical.

I just wish people would write Stockholm syndrome correctly and NOT try to justify the abuser/kidnapper's reasons.

Can you stop romanticizing it people? If you do write it where it's "justified", do it from the person experiencing Stockholm Syndrome as that's the only one trying to justify their abuser's actions.

Idk how else to word this.

Just don't romanticize abuse/kidnapping. Please.

Even if say in the book someone kidnaps a character to protect them, kidnapping isn't okay. Show that in your writing how kidnapping is bad.

I'm tired of the romanticization.