Changing attitudes to social violence means starting education early, when children’s behaviours are only just forming.
At the Pat Cronin Foundation, we believe that conversations about violence can be adapted to a child’s developmental stage – which is why our Be Wise Education Program starts with kids as young as five.
This article explores:
- Providing kids with a sense of safety
- The Prep-Grade 6 Act Kindly Activity Kit
- Children learn through play – a sample game to help them build emotional skills
Provide kids with a sense of safety
For young children, it’s about creating a sense of safety and helping them understand basic concepts of right and wrong, such as why hitting is harmful.
As they grow, these discussions can become more nuanced, addressing bullying, emotional violence, and even media portrayal of violence.
Early, age-appropriate conversations can empower kids to recognise dangerous situations and develop empathy.
Parents and educators should aim to create open lines of communication, where kids feel safe asking questions and learning about the realities of the world—without feeling overwhelmed.
The goal isn’t to scare them, but to prepare and protect them in an increasingly complex environment.
The Prep-Grade 6 Act Kindly Activity Kit
With the official launch of the Pat Cronin Foundation’s Prep-Grade 6 Act Kindly Activity Kit in late 2023, schoolchildren as young as five are being taught that violence is never ok.
The kit’s easy-to-use, age-appropriate classroom resources feature:
- Purpose-designed storybooks
- Activities
- Role playing
- A centrepiece presentation developed specifically in response to demand from teachers
Featuring storybooks, activities and a face-to-face presentation, the kit allows young minds to explore scenarios, analyse characters and draw connections between the narrative and real-world concepts.
The materials are focussed on understanding anger and aggression, choices and consequences as well as offering the means to defuse conflict.
This kit is aligned to the national curriculum and was piloted at a host of Melbourne schools with positive feedback, including Our Lady Help of Christians – where Pat completed his primary schooling.
According to Our Lady Help of Christians principal, Mark Pinkerton: “Often young students can be exposed to violent material unknowingly via their phones and any education to assist students in raising their concerns is invaluable.
“The Activity Kit however has been especially helpful in generating conversations around the fact that violence is never the answer.
“Students are also taking those conversations back into their homes and the community.”
A sample game to help children build emotional skills
It’s important to remember that we aren’t born with the ability to manage our emotions—these skills must be developed over time. The earlier children start learning how to build these skills, the better prepared they will be to navigate life’s emotional challenges.
Games provide an engaging and enjoyable way to make learning about emotions fun and less intimidating. When children are having fun, they are more likely to absorb and retain the information they learn.
Try this exercise with your child, adapted from the Act Kindly Activity Kit.
It calls for 54 numbered Jenga blocks, but you can just as easily use adapted Bingo cards.
The numbers correspond with 54 different emotions, but you don’t have to create that many – maybe just a dozen.
For teachers: We have a range of extra sample activity sheets to help promote positive behaviour in the classroom. Orders yours here
