Alain Bauer is professor of criminology at Cnam and author of numerous books on crime.
FIGAROVOX. - For several years, knife attacks have exploded in France and these last days constitute a sinister illustration of this: one death in Metz as well as one death in Amiens on the night of the 14th and 15th; three dead in Angers on the night of July 15 to 16; and the list is growing every day. What do these stabbing attacks mean?
Alain Bauer. -
Although they are the color of metal, knives, swords and other blades are called "bladed weapons".
This definition appeared in the 17th century as opposed to firearms, known as “tanned” at that time.
The latter were coated with a special product, which protected them from rust and gave them a dark color.
On the other hand, this process was not applied to the blades, because it was harmful to them.
The acidity of this product could indeed damage the finest parts of the blades, and in particular their cutting edge.
This could therefore make them less effective, or even unusable.
The designation subsequently became a common term, to encompass weapons "
whose action is due only to
As far as attacks are concerned, it is a recurring phenomenon, made visible by a concentration of events involving several victims at the same time or cumulatively.
But as in the case of burned cars, these exceptional situations hide the reality of daily life.
The level of "homicidities" (homicides and attempts) is at a peak for the last three years and it is easier to find a so-called "white" weapon than a revolver or a Kalashnikov.
Each attack can be explained in a particular context and one should not be tempted to give them a single meaning.
But the climate of violence will have to be confirmed or not, by the control tools.
So far, the trend is pretty bad.
Read alsoThe ranking of crime in France, city by city
These knife attacks are part of a more general context of rising violence. Since when did this violence escalate? What are the main reasons (wildness of society, delinquency, rise of Islamism, etc.)?
There is a general rise in violence, both as an outlet, a manifestation of exasperation, rejection of dialogue and mediation mechanisms deemed too slow, too complicated or too unfair.
In a consumer and competitive society that expresses and sometimes glorifies strength, individual violence reinforces collective, social or societal violence.
In addition to personal or neighborhood conflicts, refusals by the authorities (against nightclub guards, security guards in transport or supermarkets, police and gendarmes, local elected officials, etc.) are reasons.
Violence, especially by knives, is often the expression of frustration or immediate revenge.
For the authors, when they explain it, it is a reaction of which they do not
hadn't considered the consequences.
We point like we tweet.
Too fast.
The number of knife attacks had dropped significantly because the temptation to violence and homicide over the past centuries had encountered a process of civilization, particularly in urban areas.
Alain Bauer
This reality is obscured or minimized by a large part of the media, which often refers to it in news items, thus minimizing a real social phenomenon. Why ?
The media is always, and rightly, afraid of abusive and crude generalization.
But they have also often conformed to a kind of sociolatry far removed from the beautiful science that is sociology, to refuse to admit the complexity of reality, particularly in terms of violence.
And it is indeed difficult to mix survival violence, acquisitive or villainous, passionate, political, etc.
We can just see, as Le Figaro reminded us, that
"the total number of homicides and attempts recorded has for the third consecutive year a level higher than 4,000 facts (4,209 in 2019, 4,472 in 2020 and 4,386 in 2021), structuring in the duration of violence dictated by the intention to kill”
.
Read alsoRise in violence: “It is not incivility, but the symptom of savagery”
Have knife attacks ever been a reality at one time in France? Can we distinguish periods?
The edged weapon is the natural weapon for protecting individuals and stabbing, the act of stabbing, is the element that has allowed the affirmation of youth gangs since the knife has existed.
The possession of a knife, whatever it is, a small Opinel, a Nontron or a Laguiole, is an element of affirmation at the same time of its existence, its identity or its virility.
The surinage had decreased a lot because the temptation of violence and homicide during the last centuries had met a process of civilization in particular in the urban space.
It is the young people most concerned, on the side of the victims or the perpetrators, and most of the time for futile reasons.
The baseball bat or the machete have found their place in the settling of scores or attacks, not to mention the less and less controlled use of the Kalashnikov by organized crime.
Alain Bauer
We will no doubt remember the Parisian Apaches who made the capital tremble (see Golden Helmet) so well told by history professor Louis Chevalier.
For
the Revue de Paris
, all Apache violence is due to "
badly used warrior qualities
".
The mentions of the Apaches however gradually disappear from the First World War and according to the historian Michelle Perrot it is the war and its immense human losses which will put an end to the phenomenon.
In addition to the police response initiated by the police headquarters at that time, a true
Children's Code
, with specific justice, was developed in order to prevent the progression towards delinquency, criminality and violence by gangs of idle youths.
Read alsoThe Apaches, these Parisian thugs, terrors of the capital during La Belle Époque
Today, the baseball bat or the machete have found their place in the settling of scores or attacks, not to mention the less and less mastered use by organized crime of the Kalashnikov.
How did we manage to limit the problem?
In criminology, solving a problem begins with a rather clinical device: diagnosis (understanding what is happening), prognosis (determining a method of treatment), therapy (choosing drugs).
What France generally does quite badly, as there are so many solution specialists who only rarely seek to establish the initial diagnosis.
What we think we know is that violence can be treated through a process of pedagogy, support, control of impulses, help with control through sport in particular.
In short, a preventive social system that intervenes on the causes.
And a real punitive device which first deals with physical violence of all kinds (against women, children, minorities, racists or xenophobes) whose treatment should once again become a priority.
The state in France is more often reactive than proactive.
Sadly, that is his nature.
If he often takes a long time to react, he knows how to do it when political pressure or public opinion reminds him of his commitments in a country as centralized as France.
