A Day Out with SCCR: Our Young Person Conference 2025

On Tuesday, 18 November, young people from across Scotland will gather at the Glasgow Science Centre for a day dedicated to understanding themselves, their relationships with their parents or carers, and the science behind why we sometimes clash with the people we care most about.

Hosted by Cyrenians Scottish Centre for Conflict Resolution (SCCR), the Young People Conference will explore how our brains and emotions work during times of stress, how arguments can spiral, and, crucially, how they can be resolved in ways that strengthen rather than damage relationships.

For many young people, family conflict is a fact of life. Indeed, conflict need not be negative as such; young people have always tested boundaries and it’s an important part of growing up. But when tensions at home grow into something more serious, the effects on mental health and wellbeing can be devastating. In Scotland, relationship breakdown within familes remains the single biggest cause of youth homelessness.

SCCR’s work tackles this problem head-on, helping families understand the emotional and neurological processes that drive conflict, and providing practical tools to communicate better and manage stress.

The conference is designed to be interactive, energetic and empowering. Throughout the day, participants will take part in activities based on the four psychoeducational resources SCCR has created over the past decade: Monkey Vs Lizard, Keep the Heid, The Brain’s Amazing Drugs Cabinet and The Three Brains.

Through workshops, creative sessions and brain-based activities, young delegates will explore how their developing brains influence emotions and behaviour – and what they can do to stay calm, connected and resilient when things get heated. They’ll leave with new insights into how to end arguments well and safeguard their own emotional health.

Opening the event will be Tom Arthur MSP, Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing, who will speak about the importance of early intervention and prevention in tackling youth homelessness and supporting family wellbeing.

Judith Pratt, Emeritus Professor, Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, will be another speaker on the day. Glasgow Science Centre’s planetarium will transform into a ‘neurodome’ where Professor Pratt will lead an audience of young people through a visually stunning demonstration of what happens in the brain during adolescence.

The SCCR’s award-winning resources, available freely online, have already helped young people, parents and professionals understand the science of conflict. From animations and games to interactive workshops, these tools translate complex neuroscience into everyday understanding, showing how empathy, communication and self-awareness can transform relationships.

As Service Manager Jim Gray explains:

‘Understanding how our brains work during conflict is transformative. This conference will showcase the intersection where science meets social change, which will help young people to use neuroscience to build resilience and connection.’

The SCCR Young People Conference 2025 takes place on Tuesday 18 November at Glasgow Science Centre. To learn more about the event or explore SCCR’s free resources, visit www.scottishconflictresolution.org.uk.