Lemma Soft Forums

Specifically, how would one approach a person who suffers Stockholm Syndrome from child abuse?

I'm doing the plot for my visual novel right now and one of the character is be abused at home, and she has Stockholm syndrome, which means she doesn't realize she's going through abuse and doesn't appreciate any efforts to save her from it.

So...I'm having a hard time coming up with how the main character (boy) would approach her and help her. What I have now is that: he tries to get her to open up by having daily phone calls (or therapy sessions). How the relationship develops after that, without being too rushed or shallow? That's what I'm struggling with.

Any suggestions would be appreciated

Here's at least one helpful link about how to depict characters who have been abused in a more realistic way:

http://springhole.net/writing/write-bet ... acters.htm

Along with an article about Stockholm Syndrome itself:

http://counsellingresource.com/lib/ther ... stockholm/

As for the relationship to the boy, the above link can help, but this one, which is more relationship-specific, can help, too:

http://springhole.net/writing/believabl ... nships.htm

I think the important part, if you're worried about portraying it in a sympathetic yet realistic way, is to make the distinction between emotional support (which the boy can and should give), and psychological therapy (which the boy should not be responsible for.) Relationships can bring out the better parts of people, yes, but they are not the solution. They can treat the symptoms, not the cause, and if you try to do the same thing in real life, it falls apart too easily and leaves the person not only emotionally but also psychologically dependent on that relationship surviving. And that type of relationship can cause just as many problems as it solves (speaking from experience here.)

What you should do then is have the boy strive to be a pillar of emotional support, not her savior. He is not there to "fix" her. He is not there to "save" here. He is in love with her and wants to make her happy, but he is not the solution to her problems. Have him focus on getting her to open up emotionally and tell him how she feels, and then once she's gained enough confidence, let her be the one to reject her abusive parent and reach out for professional help. If you write it this way, the boy will seem more grounded and humble, and the girl will end up empowered and stand alone as an individual. Plus, it mirrors an ideal reality.

Of course you can go for the more sensational approach, and have him be the girl's savior... just know that in that case, it's arguably worse writing, and demonstratively worse realism.

Thank you everyone for the very, very useful reply I'll keep them in mind.