Editor’s note: The following piece is the sixth of seven articles that examine the Emotional Rooms. In this instalment John Joseph presents some background on threat and how threat can lead to major issues in young people’s lives. Secondly, he explains ways to reduce threat in classrooms.

There is nothing either enticing or entertaining about being the recipient of threats!

What is the impact of threat on kids

Threat is a major block to learning (Sapolsky, 1999). One of the main problems with threat is that it triggers the release by the adrenal glands of a chemical cascade that results in a flood of cortisol in the brain. In moderate amounts, cortisol is not harmful. It actually primes the body to respond to the source of the threat. However, when produced in excess for prolonged periods, cortisol becomes so toxic that it damages brain cells.

By John Joseph

John Joseph has an inspiring story to tell. He left school at the age of 14 to undertake an apprenticeship as a solid plasterer. After 11 years of contributing to the family business, he resumed his formal education, graduating with a Master’s degree in Mathematics and Science Education. 

John taught across all year levels before working in teacher education at the University of South Austrailia. In 1998, he formed his own company, Focus Education Austrailia, and has enjoyed phenomenal success as a presenter, writer and coach. In just nine years John has worked with over 350,000 delegates across 16 countries. He has published six books, three CDRoms and over 100 articles. John’s website attracts over 1 million visitors annually. 

Today, John is affectionately known as the Brain Man. He facilitates workshops each year for about 12,000 school students and speaks at national and international conferences for educators, parents and the corporate world. John has featured in hundreds of newspaper articles for his work with kids, parents and teachers.   

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