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WH AT I S
T H E E X P E C T E D
E V O L U T I O N O F
T H E S E R E A C T I O N S ?
W
hen one goes through a traumatic
event, for instance, a terrorist attack,
people may react -as we have seen- in
different ways to handle the situation. These are lo-
gical survival responses deemed absolutely expec-
ted and normal, but which may make people feel
overwhelmed with the feeling of having lost control
of their lives.
However, we know that most of these reactions are
temporary, and that most people will overcome the
situation, that these reactions will gradually disa-
ppear, as will their suffering, and that they will even-
tually move on with their lives.
There is no single way to react to a terrorist attack.
Normal reactions are many and varied, and so is
their evolution. Not all people evolve in the same
way, not all go through the same stages, and when
they do, they don’t need to do so in the same order
or for a specific time period. The reactions to an at-
tack are personal, as is the process that each person
goes through, their pace and stages.
However, research on the effects of terrorist attac-
ks and disasters tend to categorize the reactions in
stages, ranging from the time of the attack itself to
recovery. For the purpose of providing some guidan-
ce, we could speak of three distinct phases:
Impact Phase
People react at the time of the attack by protecting
their life and that of others. This is a survival respon-
se. At present, some people may be unable to react
or do so in a disorganized way, as they feel stun-
ned, aghast, unable to act in the right way. They feel
shocked, blocked, and even immobilized or disorien-
ted, and may wander back and forth. In the case of
attacks with many victims, some people may react
with excessive demands towards rescue services, as
if they were the only victims. Conversely, others have
IMPACT PHASE
POST-IMPACT
PHASE
RECOVERY
PHASE