More than 1300 Wyndham high school students are taking part in a rapidly growing national violence-prevention program.
The Pat Cronin Foundation is delivering its face-to-face ‘Violence is Never OK’ and ‘Rethinking Anger’ presentations, which aim to equip young people with vital life skills, including how to manage anger and aggression, de-escalate arguments and handle conflict.
The presentations also explore the long-term impact of social violence through the story of 19-year-old Pat Cronin, who died after being punched while on a night out in Melbourne in 2016.
Pat’s grieving parents, Matt and Robyn Cronin, set up the foundation with the aim of sparing other families the pain they have endured.
Werribee’s MacKillop College is one of the schools participating in the initiative, with the foundation set to speak to 250 students on March 25 and May 6.
Year 10 leader David Coates said the presentations, part of the school’s wellbeing program ‘Thrive’, provided valuable real-world skills for students as they prepared to navigate life outside the school grounds.
“These skills are really important for students who find themselves in different and sometimes challenging situations as they become young adults,” he said.
“This is the second year we’ve booked the Foundation, after hearing about its work through other teachers.”
Pat Cronin’s father and foundation director Matt Cronin said they have visited about 60 per cent of secondary schools in Victoria and over 250,000 students across Australia have seen their presentations.
“By giving young people an understanding of Pat’s story, the impact of violence including the coward punch, as well as practical tips and strategies, we know we’re changing attitudes to social violence,” he said.
Mr Cronin also looks forward to the ninth annual Pat Cronin Foundation Round, set to take place from May 2-4, bringing together around 70,000 football and netball players including those from Wyndham.
“While we are heavily involved in schools, our programs are also highly relevant to sports clubs,” he said.
More: patcroninfoundation.org.au/education/be-wise-presentations/
