There are many potential causes of outbursts. Some common causes include:

• Stress or overwhelmed: When people are under a lot of stress and pushed to their limits, they cannot regulate their emotions and tip into overwhelm and their system runs in fight or flight meaning they become physical or verbal as a result of being tipped over the edge, to avoid confrontation they may even go on the run. There is a duty of care in you recognising when someone is in overwhelm to avoid risk to self and others. Failures in recognition gets people seriously harmed or killed.
• Personal issues: Personal issues, such as no food, lack of money, loss of security such as a job, your home, childhood trauma or unresolved conflicts, can also underpin the contribution to outbursts. An example would be soldiers being displaced from services where they have family and a home. When they’re retired or dismissed from duty their homes and family are taken from them. They lose their brothers and sisters (colleagues), parents (peers and officers) the company (become isolated) sustainable home (the barracks) social events (travelling together, special vents, parties). It’s overwhelming to have everything stripped from you and excluded from your family and a lot of soldiers cannot take the exclusion.
• Lack of effective communication: In some incidents there are no words to tell people the horrors of the experience. When people don’t have the words, they feel frustrated, unheard, or misunderstood, and by officials have their own opinions or taken-for-granted ideas that aren’t real or truthful, then this is when people lash out in one way or another – when it all gets too much.
• Lack of emotional regulation: Some people struggle to manage their emotions and may have difficulty controlling their reactions, especially those with hidden disabilities such as traits of autism.
• Lack of coping skills: Some people may not have developed healthy coping skills for managing their emotions and may resort to outbursts as a way of dealing with difficult feelings.
• Physical or mental health issues: Certain physical or mental health conditions, such as amplified pressures pressing further into depression or anxiety, this can also contribute to outbursts.
• Substance abuse: Substance abuse can also lead to outbursts, as substances can affect a person’s ability to regulate their emotions.

It is important to recognise the potential causes of outbursts and help where needed in order to manage and prevent harm. Additionally, officials listening to hear the words can help them to better understand the needs, concerns, and perspectives of those they serve. Listening involves paying attention to what is being said, asking questions to clarify understanding, and actively trying to understand the other person’s perspective. By listening, officials can gather important information, identify concerns and common ground, to find ways to address the issues at hand. Listening also shows respect for others and can help to build trust and improve communication. Therefore, officials should make an effort to listen actively and attentively in order to effectively serve their constituents.