Cyrenians launches new conflict resolution resource aimed at families
A new resource including a fun online quiz has been designed by a Scottish charity to help families put aside their differences and avoid arguments.
The Cyrenians' Scottish Centre for Conflict Resolution (SCCR) hopes its Are you a Monkey or a Lizard? quiz will make household fights over the remote control or mobile phone bills a thing of the past by showing people the way their brain works.
Backed by doctor and medical advisor Dr Sara Watkin, the initiative splits the brain into two parts – the old brain (lizard) and the new brain (monkey).
The quiz aims to find out what side of your brain you use most often in conflict situations and suggest ways on how you could improve.
It teaches that using the lizard brain too much can lead to conflict escalating but by learning to access the monkey brain we are more able to do things to reduce conflict, for example, listen, reflect, empathise and communicate.
We can learn to cuddle our inner monkey and care for our lizard better. We can reduce the stress and anxiety we feel when experiencing conflict and do things in a new and different way
The Are you a Monkey or a Lizard? initiative is part of the SCCR’s national campaign to raise awareness of conflict at home and the impact on young people and their families.
Every year in Scotland, 5,000 young people become homeless because of family relationship breakdown.
Diane Marr, network development manager at the SCCR, explained: “Every year thousands of young people become homeless because their relationship with their family breaks down – but they are just the tip of the iceberg of those struggling to deal with conflict.
“Through this resource, website and our national campaign we want to find ways to engage young people and families to take a look at how they can stop, talk and listen to each other better.
“We can learn to cuddle our inner monkey and care for our lizard better. We can reduce the stress and anxiety we feel when experiencing conflict and do things in a new and different way.”
The new resource was launched at the Edinburgh International Science Festival on Monday night.
