Stockholm Syndrome in the Shawn Hornbeck case

Fascinating analysis of the recent strange kidnapping case:

Shawn’s rescue was cause for ecstatic celebration by his family, and fascinated curiosity from the whole of America, but almost indifference from Shawn himself.
Why? Because it is evident that he has been leading something very close to a normal life and sees no reason for jubilation.

Comments

Anonymous
I doubt his life had been anything close to normal. More like “brainwash’.
You probably don’t remember a similar child that was kidnapped and gone for about 12 years. After he came back home there was a movie made about him titled “I Know My Name Is Steven”. Strange similarities to this case. It was only after the man who had abducted him did the same thing again, years later with another child that Steven took the smaller child and went to the police.
Over the years he had many times and opportunities that he could have told someone or gotten help but he was to brainwashed. He was told (by his abductor) that his parents had given him to this man and that they didn’t love or want him anymore. Pretty heavy stuff for a small child. I think he was about 6 when he was kidnapped.
Once he returned home he eventually became a police officer and then was killed in an accident.
Anonymous
I don’t think we have the right to assume we know or can understand Shawn’s feeling by knowledge we gained in a few minutes caught on national TV. He was abducted while riding his bike and held at gun point. His abductor told him he would kill him and his family if he told anyone. Although we do not have the details of what Shawn when thru over the course of the four and a half years I assure you he was not kidnapped so that he could be given a “normal” life. The abductors computer contained a significant amount of child pornography and he is currently being investigated in another child abduction and murder. This is a sick and disturbed human being who should be executed for what he has done. We may never hear about what has happened to Shawn, just like we never heard what happened to Elizabeth Smart and may others like them but I think it’s safe to say Shawn didn’t want this or deserve this.
Anonymous
This poor child has been living a nightmare for the past 4 1/2 years at the hands of a sick, twisted man. Who more likely than not convinced him that his family did not want him, can you imagine being 6 years old and told “your parents don’t love you anymore and they gave you to me…”
Who are we to judge this poor boy and who are we to belive that the National News stations will give us “the whole truth and nothing but the truth” they will give us what they think will sell a newspaper and get a rating!
Where is the compasion America?
Anonymous
nuni4u He was 11, not six a reasonable display of intelligence could be exopected.
Anonymous
I think that nuni4u is sort of right i mean this poor kid has not been to school and not seen his family for 4 1/2 years i mean the sick man he was living with probaly did some nasty things to him and probaly threaten him if he left so maybe that is why he has not tried to excape and just stayed there
Anonymous
anonymous said:
” You probably don’t remember a similar child that was kidnapped and gone for about 12 years. After he came back home there was a movie made about him titled “I Know My Name Is Steven”. Strange similarities to this case.”
Stephen Strayner was 4 years old when he was abducted, Shawn was a ll. I dont know about you, but when I was 11 I would have known to go to the police, a 4 year old would not and could be brain washed easily a 11 year old SHOULD already know better. I find it odd that Shawn did not try to escape.
Anonymous
Ok lets get this all straight, Steven Stayner was 7, not 4 or 6. And yes, Shawn was 11 and should have known better, but not a one of us can begin to know what went on or even what we really would do in that situation. Come on people use your heads on this one. I for one, can begin to understand even if just a little bit. I was molested when i was a teenager and never reported it. At first, I didnt see it that way, thought everything was fine and then as I began to understand that holding me and touching me was not ok, I was too afraid to report it. Dont you think that maybe he was scared. If he was threatened in the beginning and told his family would die if he told, then hell no he wasnt about to report it. Those he feel like he liked whatever he was going through are just warped and need to come to the understanding that unless you’ve been in a similar situation, you will NEVER understand why he didnt leave.
Anonymous
He was 11 years old and he should know better? What the hell is that? Watch Ophra today (Thursday 18) and when asked Shawn answers that he was terrified of what might happen to him or his family if he left. Shawn was a little boy out doing what little kids should do at that age, ride bikes have fun enjoy being 11 not be accussed of enjoying his captivity.
Anonymous
I cant believe that any one would honestly accuse Shawn of anything. honesty, the poor kid had to live with this man for 4 and a half years never knowing if he was going to see his family again, and none of us know what went on. he could have been threatened. hell, i’d be scared to death to go tell somebody if it meant my family would be in danger. you cant sit here and think “oh he was 11 years old, he should have known better”. unless you were kidnapped when you were 11 years old and somehow were brave enough to do something, then i suggest everyone stop talking about shawn saying he should have done something.
Anonymous
For all of those people who think Shawn may have enjoyed living with D. and was staying on his own free will…answer these questions… Why wouldn’t Shawn atleast feel the least bit of remorse for his parents grief? And hitch a ride for the after noon to grab some of his old things or see some old friends. And then return back to D. Kids think like that. He didn’t contact those old friends or family because he lived in fear! Even if the supposed homelife wasn’t the greatest you still end up missing your mom or dad. Even the worst cases of abuse in families still feelt he need to see their parents. Shawn lived in fear and no one will be able to completely understand what fear can do to someone. Also I heard Shawn had a cat with him in the apartment. He supposedly stated he was an atheist with a cat. Maybe D. tortured animals in front of him and stuff like that. D had something horrible hanging over him to scare this kid.
Krystal
I was watching the Oprah show about him today and he told her that the reason why he didn’t do anything to leave is because he was terrified of what would happen. His mother and father , Pam and Craig Akers believe that he has been sexually abused by Michael Devlin. I just don’t understand how anyone could blame him for what he had to go through. You may think that it could have been easy for him to get out of a situation like that, with all the connections he had. Sure, he was allowed to go outside with his friends, but he was miles away from home. What if he would have caught him trying to escape. He could have called his mother, but Devlin could have been tracking what he did with his phone. You just don’t know what is going on. Shawn did what he could to stay alive. He did not live a normal life with that guy. A normal life does not consist of yelling and screaming at night, like Devlin’s neighbors claim they heard coming from his apartment. Michael Devlin is a sick pig and he shouldn’t ever be able to see the light of day ever again. I admire Shawn for surviving. Surviving through this terrible thing, was the best and only thing he could do. On the news today it also said that Michael Devlin used a gun to intimidate Shawn to stay there. And if it weren’t for that sick man kidnapping Ben Ownby,…. Mitchell hultz would have never seen Devlin’s truck that was the only lead, to Devlin. Well, they were at the apartment building to serve a warrant for somebody else, then they saw the white nissan truck with a hubcap and rust on it, which is the way Mitchell described it. Then they saw Devlin and recognized him as the guy at the pizzeria and started talking to him. Then they asked him a question about his truck and he got really defensive and nasty. So they got a warrant to search his apartment and they found Ben first, then Shawn. So thank you Mitchell and the policemen who followed their instincts. You are amazing. I love you Shawn and Ben.
Anonymous
Shawn did enough! He is absolutely AMAZING! I would never be that strong.
<3 you shawn and ben
Anonymous
There is something weird about this kid Shawn, his manners and the way that he hold a toothpick in this lips….
I think he was pleased living with Devin and that is why he never left.
That story of the Stockholm sysndrome I don’t swallow at all.
Anonymous
Shawn is broken. You can see it in his eyes. He is not wierd. He is a survivor. He was kidnapped for 4 1/2 years. He may have had a bit normalcy during the day, but at night he was tortured and raped by a god-damed monster. He has been sodomized and demeaned continually for 1,685 days. You try enduring what this kid went through. He is remarkable. He hangs his head in shame and wears his pain allover. Let’s hope he can put the pieces back together. He is a minor and I wish his parents would stop marketing him around.
Anonymous
We don’t know how we would “act” in a situation such as that…I myself know that at that age if I had been taken I would have done just about anything to make sure that my family was ok. That is because I care about my family, as I think that Shawn does…..I myself have 3 children who I hope and pray that nothing ever happens to them like it does so many children out there. I am called by many as over-protective, but yet I have to realize that something could very well still happen to my darlings. Don’t ever say that you know how you would react in a situation as that…..Until you are put in that situation, you will never know. I mean some kids are dealing with sexual abuse…they try to tell a trusted adult but that adult won’t or can’t believe them so it still happens. So don’t tell me that you KNOW how or WHAT he went through….You are NOT or NEVER will be Shawn…….
Anonymous
I just wanted to say that I for one admire those sweet boys who were taken by the mad, should never see daylight again devlin. They have lived through some very bad times in their lives and I think that they are truly amazing for doing so.
I also was being molested as a teenager…..by a family member….when I finally told my parents that I had been molested my father told me that I was lying and had been lying about it as “you (I) never got pregnant” I don’t recall that getting molested that you have to get pregnant for it to happen. That would mean that a boy can’t get pregnant and I know of several that have gotten molested….It is a good thing that I never did get pregnant as my sperm donor also told me that “if you (I) ever got pregnant, don’t expect your mother or I to raise your baby….we have already raised our kids”
Anonymous
All I can say is that no one will ever know what happened, so leave it alone.
Shawn must have done something right to still be alive after 4 1/2 years.
Now, they are linking MD with other cases in MO. If you really do some research you would see that the four kids that MD is linked/being questioned about all lived with in 43-48 miles from Kirkwood, in small towns.
I have a feeling this story is far from over.
Anonymous
Could you not see the dead and haunting look in Shawn’s eyes? Do you think that after being abducted and only living less than 100 miles from your family, but no way to safely get back to them that you would “enjoy your life”? Somehow I doubt it. It’s obvious that he felt he was in danger..that his family was in danger. He was 11 years old and has not been to school in four years. That does not make for an environment to develope the skills it would take to understand that you might be able to do something. If he was molested in addition to being deprived of an education, he would easily be able to be coerced into doing and saying whatever his captor wanted him to. The dude is over 300 pounds. Just as abused wives and girlfriends don’t ask for help because they feel they can’t, Shawn had no options open to him. And he did try by making that post on his own website searching for him. Nothing came of it and I’m sure he felt quite lost.
He has four and a half years worth of school to catch up on and parents that won’t just let him heal. I understand that they are overjoyed that he’s back, but to allow someone to announce on network TV that Shawn very likely was molested, wow…they are idiots. He needs time to process, and rejoin his life. Parading him in front of the world and saying…look how broken this boy is, will only make it harder for him.
My heart bleeds for this poor boy who has no chance of a quiet life ever again.
Anonymous
Devlin should never see light again how can someone do that to shawn his live was just starting as a teenager he should have spent those 4 years with his family and friends not some twisted messed up man,we are all just happy that shawn is back home, from what i see of shawn he is a every strong kid for sticking out those 4 years and he had hope and that is what got him home
Anonymous
I’m so proud of Shawn for wanting to turn this cruel evil into something good by helping others. Your a hero Shawn. The bad guy loses and the good guy wins in the end. Shawn will be able to help many children from ever having to go through what he did and perphaps save lives. Props to Shawn’s parents for never giving up on him. A happy ending to a true story. I believe God wants to use Shawn to encourage and help others by turning a negetive into a positive. God still performs miracles and has a plan for Shawn’s life.
Anonymous
As a 5 year old female,I was molested by a “close family friend”. It happened more than once and I knew it was pure evil. I am almost 40 and I still remember the exact moment I learned to hate another human being. I hated him, but didn’t tell. Why didn’t I tell my middle class, God fearing parents? Why? I still can’t explain the fear this man Jerry M. of Star City Arkansas has over me. I was 18 before I told me parents and sadly they too couldn’t handle it. They added hurt to hurt by telling me basically to get over it, maybe I didn’t understand what he was doing, etc,. I know he abused other kids, including his step daughter. I wish I could have told and prevented others from suffering. Also think about this, I am almost 40 this happened 35 years ago and was NOTHING compared to the sexual abuse Shawn suffered, I am highly educated, at the top of my career field, happily married for almost 20 years, two wonderful children and an active member of the community AND YET I still live with the fear that man forced on me. I am shaking just writing this. And as much as I would love to call him up and tell him I DO REMEMBER (I am sure he thinks I don’t) what he did to me, he still has a grip on me, of fear of what would he do to me? My children? See it is a VERY VERY real fear of guilty, shame, and something I just can’t explain that sexual abuse to innocent children rob them of part of a completely normal life. The average person can not understand. I pray for Shawn and abused children worldwide every day. Please watch out for your children and trust no one 100%.
Anonymous
I think the parents are getting a lot of unfair criticism in regards to there resent public interview and appearances with or without Shawn. These people used the media as a way of generating awareness about Shawn’s disappearance and not just originally but throughout the four and a half years. I believe that they in return are giving the media a thank you by doing these interviews at this critical time when the world wants to know about the details of Shawn’s ordeal. I also believe Shawn’s parents have a new battle on there hands in terms of funding the therapy there son will most likely need for several years to come. I’m sure they will require some additional help to bring Shawn’s education back to an age appropriate level by means of extra tutor and or special schooling. By doing interview with the media they are able to generate awareness about much needed fanatical aid. One person made a comment about how stupid the parent are for going on national TV and telling the world that in there opinion they believe Shawn was sexually abused. Do you really think there is question in anyone’s mind said out loud or not that Shawn hasn’t been sexually abused? Of course he has been and they need the resources to deal with that. Most of the time these kids are never found and if they are they are almost always dead. These two families have been blessed and have had there children return to them and we all should be happy for them. Luckily we don’t all have to live our lives under the media spot light and have perfect strangers judge and criticize our children and our decision.
Anonymous
Get you facts straight. Steven Strayner was 7 when he was kidnapped by Ken Parnell in 1972. He bravely escaped, saving a second kidnapped victim named Timmy White. Steven was missing for 8 years and endured horrible sexual abuse, starting the first night of his abduction. I can’t imagine what that monster Michael Devlin did to those to boys.
Anonymous
I watched the 48 HR Mystery show and I can not understand why this boy, once he matured past 12 did not take all the opportunities presented to him to leave. I thought back to when I was 11 to 15. I didn’t tell, but I knew it was wrong—I planned my escape for months,and then, still unprepared, I ran away anyhow, barely 14. I wasn’t going through the amount of abuse BUT, I tell you I had NONE of the good things at all, just lived in fear each day and that is why I planned and then escaped. Regardless of our fear as children we certainly are aware that adults, THE POLICE are a safe place to run–he was picked up by the police! He stayed because he was living a spoiled boys dream-life. No responsibility, Video games endlessly, “anything he wanted” as the close friend (neighbors) revealed. He didn’t even have to go to school. All this boy does in the interview is smile and talk about his new life—everything he wants, still. He won’t talk about the situation, only that he is glad to be with his family again. Doesn’t make sense that he doesn’t hold any resentment or other emotional response to Devin.