Over a decade ago, a special commission was convened to evaluate London’s official response to its 7/7/2005 bus and subway bombings. News coverage of this report sparked renewed anxiety in Londoners, showing that reactions to trauma do not pass quickly; they are far reaching and run deep, ready to be triggered by reminders of the traumatic event. Watch this BBC video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVH1MEdWzW0) for more information.
Some have called the London bombings “Britain’s 9/11”. To what extent and in what ways is this the case? Considering more recent attacks and attempts to traumatically alter the lives of Londoners and those of other European country residents, the question arises again.
After examining the video and the course readings for the week, consider what, if any extent the London bombings are parallel to the events of 9/11.
How might these events be more equal in magnitude of trauma than initially considered on the surface?
The effect on the day to day operation of the cities involved was not equally affected as what was seen in the case of 9/11. London’s/England’s and Paris’s/France’s respective recovery periods following their attacks were much shorter compared to New York’s and U.S.’s reaction to 9/11.
Given these differences, what are the similarities and how would you explain them?
Is there a one-size-fits-all type of trauma reaction that occurs when terrorists strike?
Is a model that incorporates culture as a mitigating factor needed in addressing trauma reactions?
