Last weekend’s Cambridgeshire train attack brought up a question that we often ask ourselves. But the answer isn’t simple
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Emma Kavanagh is a psychologist who has worked for the police and the military
The devastating attack on train passengers in Cambridgeshire last weekend was shocking. There has been talk of heroes who risked their lives to help others, and of those who hid to save their lives. If you are anything like me, you will be asking yourself: what if that were me? How would I cope? And just who would I turn out to be when the worst happens?
Some of us imagine that we would vault to the rescue, fighting off attackers. Others, perhaps the more realistic among us, anticipate flight, extricating ourselves from the situation as quickly and efficiently as possible. Most of us would like to think that we would stay our urge to run, lingering long enough to offer aid to those in need.
Emma Kavanagh is a psychologist who worked for many years for the police and military. Her books include How to Be Broken and The Psychopath Effect, to be published in 2026
In the UK, the charity Mind is available on 0300 123 3393. In the US, call or text Mental Health America at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. In Australia, support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, and at MensLine on 1300 789 978
