In today’s world where situations seem out of our control and stress feels like a permanent state of being, we all get angry. We might lash out, shout, or say things we don’t mean, and do things we’re ashamed of. This is a natural response to stimuli that raises our emotional state.

As adults we know this, and sometimes we know enough to be able to check our behaviour before we do something we regret. But for children and adolescents it can be hard to understand why they behave poorly and end up in situations they later regret.

When situations occur that place us in states of extreme emotional arousal – when we get angry or frightened – inbuilt survival instincts put the brain in fight or flight mode. This switches off the reasoning – or processor – part of the brain, that can lead us to act out of character; lashing out at the boy who may have just inadvertently brushed past us in the corridor, for example.

For young people it can be hard for them to understand these outbursts. They’re blamed for causing trouble and feel ashamed for their perhaps, uncharacteristic poor behaviour. The BrainBox can help them understand what’s happening inside their brains in terms that they recognise.

Deborah