Jaycee Dugard: Three Questions Answered - WESH 2 NBC News - Janie Lacy

This past week the breaking news headline was: Jaycee Dugard Discovered After 18 Years. This was a shock not only to anyone who heard the story, but also to her family. In the Jaycee Dugard case, as well as with Elizabeth Smart and Shawn Hornbeck cases, there are three common questions that people ask:

1) How does a person reunite with their family?

One of the main things that has to be considered before starting the process of reuniting is that it needs to take place over a period of time and it needs to be done with sensitivitymeaning that she is no longer the 11 year old girl that her parents last knew her to be. There is an entire part of her life that she may not want to talk about for a long time. She also now has two daughters of her own, who are very limited in what they know. Therefore, reuniting should be as stress- free and low-key as possible. Jaycee and her daughters will need to be allowed to process the shock with taking in this new reality.

2) Why does a kidnapped person not try to escape?

There are a variety of reasons why a person does not try to escape their captor. One main reason is what we call learned helplessness. We can only speculate in the Jaycee Dugard case, but in research studies whether the threat is actual or perceived when the person thinks of escaping, they may suffer from the negative effect. Therefore, the feelings of having no control can take over a persons senses and that feeling of powerlessness kicks in a survival response. In the research, we also look at something called traumatic bonding. What this means is the kidnapped victim potentially can develop an emotional response that is related to his or her powerlessness in a life-threatening situation. This can explain why the individual may seem immobilized and unable or unwilling to attempt an escape.

Read Remaining Questions at: http://www.totallifecounseling.com/2009/08/jaycee-dugard-three-answered-quest...
Read About Janie Lacie, MS, LMHC, NCC at http://www.TotalLifeCounseling.com/counselors/janie/

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[crazyPAgirl]

Those poor girls (and I am referring to Jaycee as a girl because that's what she is mentally).

I can not begin to imagine the extent of damage that's been done to their minds.

God bless them all.

[nebula88]

I don't get why people always compare Dugard to Elizabeth Smart. I mean there's a big difference between being kidnapped for 9 months, and 18 YEARS!!! Smart was able to finish high school and is attending college. For Dugard, when she meets people and they talk about school (who doesn't?), Dugard's going to have alot of anger built up in her that she never went to middleschool, high school, or uni.

[lovehimforever954]

psh i would have hoped over that fence a long time ago.

[24onepiece]

i wonder why your saying this...you didn't happen to see a episode of Criminal Minds did you..thats what happens at the end

[nancylp1111]

Killin, you don't have a clue what you are talking about, Katey is right, look up Stockholm Syndrome, there is a pschological reason why people in her position don't run. She's not the first and she won't be the last. The police and even neighbors blew countless opportunities to ask a lot of questions about who, what and why there were people living in that yard and why a convicted rapist had children in his yard which neighbors did hear.

[fukinzeppelinman]

DJ Jaycee is cuttin' an scratchin' thats fresher then mentos.

[LouisianaLagniappe]

I wish them the best; I hope the rest of their days are filled with the love of family and friends and filled with much happiness.

[emilyisstillwithme]

:( i live in south lake tahoe.

we're having a parade for her tomorrow.

its good to have you back jaycee. (:

[KateyElizabeth]

KillinDaWelfareMCs ,

she did not want to stay there. she was suffering from what psychiatrists call "Stockholm Syndrome."

[KillinDaWelfareMCs]

she wanted to stay there...thats why she didn't escape.

she apparently used to talk to people on the phone and use the internet...

[skyarsalan]

living in  backyard for 18 years.......wow