The dynamics of the transition from trauma to action among perpetrators of violence

Objectives. - This article explores the filiation from trauma to act. It attempts to determine how, among perpetrators of violence, the re-actualization of a mental trace of traumatic origin can lead to acts that appear "insane", while their meaning is inaccessible to the subjects themselves. Method. - After reassessing the notion of the traumatic trace (and "non-trace"), the dynamics from trauma to action among perpetrators of violence will be specifically addressed. Our reflection will be focused on the after-effects of trauma via the constraint of repetition. Results. - This will lead us to consider violent acting-out as a sensorimotor reviviscence of trauma, and as a potential "staging" of a split traumatic experience that cannot be symbolized. Discussion. - These reflections lead us to consider some types of violent acts as an avoidant response by an individual faced with the risk of psychotic collapse. Conclusion. - The study of violent acting-out through the prism of trauma can help the clinician to give meaning to his work with perpetrators of violence that he or she is called on to manage. It contributes to a global understanding of violent acts within a humanistic approach. (C) 2019 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.