For many teachers and leaders, dealing with violence, threats and aggressive behaviour has become an uncomfortable part of the job, bringing fresh concerns about safety and wellbeing.
A recent survey underscores the scale of the problem, finding that almost one in two principals experienced physical violence in 2025 and more than half were subjected to threats of violence, highlighting a sharp rise in school-based aggression over the past 15 years.
One organisation helping schools tackle this issue is The Pat Cronin Foundation, set up after 19-year-old Pat Cronin was killed by a Coward Punch attack during a night out in 2016. The foundation now connects with 70,000 young people a year in schools and sports clubs.
Through the organisation’s ‘Violence is Never OK’ and ‘Rethinking Anger’ programs – which cover the consequences of violence, managing anger, risk awareness and avoidance, responding to social violence and ending the coward punch – Victorian schools have seen a marked decrease in the number of students who believe there is a place for violence in the schoolyard.
While the program used to focus on high school students, it has recently expanded to engage primary students as research uncovers more about the crucial role early education plays in shifting attitudes and behaviours.
Why Pat’s story resonates with students
At Eltham High School in Victoria, the foundation’s ‘Be Wise’ Education Program forms a key part of the school’s Respectful Relationships approach for senior students, Principal Vincent Sicari told The Educator.
“Its impact lies in the power of Pat’s story—a young man speaking to young people in a voice that feels personal and authentic,” he said.
“The narrative encourages students to think critically, stay aware, and call out poor behaviour, while still allowing them to make their own choices. This balance resonates deeply and has opened the ears, eyes and hearts of many.”
When asked how his leadership team balances high expectations for behaviour with supporting students who may be facing complex challenges outside the classroom, Sicari said the approach has been to foster a strong sense of community, with students and families well connected through local schools, sport and technology.
“Students express a deep sense of belonging, supported by the belief that learning and wellbeing are inseparable,” Sicari said. “The school’s values—Pursuit of Excellence, Individuality, Respect for Diversity, Social and Environmental Responsibility and Integrity—guide expectations for behaviour and learning.”
Teachers use the “Eltham High School Student” document throughout the year to reinforce these standards.
“Students facing complex challenges are still held to high expectations but receive support from specialist services within and beyond the school to help them remain engaged and successful.”
The evidence behind safer schools
The foundation’s director, Matt Cronin is the father of Pat Cronin and a current member of the Victorian Government’s Victims of Crime Consultative Committee.
When asked what the latest research says about the impact that anti-violence programs are having in Australian schools, he said whole-of-school, evidence-based anti-violence and respectful relationships initiatives in primary and secondary schools can create “measurable positive shifts” in the drivers of violence.
“Programs like the Pat Cronin Foundation’s education program follow the kind of approach research shows works best,” Cronin told The Educator. “We use real stories, curriculum-linked lessons and age-appropriate activities to help students manage emotions, resolve conflict, and develop empathy.”
Cronin said the impact of violence prevention education is greatest when it is reinforced consistently across the whole school community rather than delivered as a one-off initiative.
“When these programs are embedded in school culture and supported by leadership, they contribute to safer, more respectful school environments and support national efforts to prevent violence.”
Prevention starts with practice
As for where he sees the most important areas for improvement in helping school leaders address violence in their schools, Cronin pointed to equipping kids with practical skills, embedding consistent expectations, and backing this with confident staff practice in both primary and secondary schools.
“Students need regular chances to practise emotion regulation, conflict de-escalation, help seeking and bystander skills in realistic, age-appropriate scenarios, rather than just hearing one off messages in assemblies,” Cronin said.
“Whole school expectations about safety, respect and non-violence need to be visible everywhere—classrooms, the yard and online—so students experience the same clear boundaries and responses.”
Professional learning for teachers and leaders is very important, but mainly as an enabler, Cronin said.
“It should focus on how to run these student facing activities well, respond consistently to incidents, and model respectful, non-violent ways of managing conflict day to day.”