Louise Sallé, edited by Alexandre Dalifard / Photo credit: OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE / AFP 20:01 pm, June 09, 2023

Annecy experienced a black Thursday with the knife attack of a 31-year-old man on six people, including four young children. Faced with such a drama, whose videos and stories are widely disseminated in the media and on the internet, how should it be approached with children? Child psychiatrist Stéphane Clerget takes stock.

What to say to the youngest? Whether you are parents, grandparents or teachers, you are probably wondering how to talk to children about this dramatic attack, which occurred Thursday in Annecy, where six people were attacked with knives by a 31-year-old man. These young people may have seen images or heard stories on the radio. So how can we reassure them? To answer this question, child psychiatrist Stéphane Clerget gives his advice to the microphone of Europe 1.

Explain, reassure and free yourself

"What we absolutely have to do is obviously explain to them that they are not threatened, that what happened is far from home and above all, that the aggressor has been arrested and that he is out of harm's way," says the specialist. On the other hand, if the children express their fear of undergoing such things, the child psychiatrist explains that it is possible to "ask them what they could do to defend themselves".

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While all responses may be different, such as going into hiding, running or calling for help, it is still necessary to develop and implement defense mechanisms. "It helps to appease them. That is, they imagine themselves in the situation. On the other hand, in this nightmare, it is important that they find ways to free themselves from it," concludes Stéphane Clerget. In addition, the mayor of Annecy invites residents to meet Sunday morning at 11 am, at the site of the attack, on the shores of Lake Annecy. A white march will be held in tribute to the victims.