Walking away from a fight is often seen as weakness – but that is exactly the mindset that former nightclub security boss Alan Latu is trying to dismantle.
Mr Latu, now a facilitator with national violence-prevention charity, the Pat Cronin Foundation, has been speaking to more than 1300 school students in the Top End this week (April 20-24) about anger, confrontation and the split-second decisions that can turn deadly.
The Foundation was formed in the wake of Coward Punch victim Pat Cronin’s death in 2016, and through its face-to-face presentations has equipped more than 350,000 young Australians with strategies to manage anger, defuse potentially violent situations and stay safe in social situations.
During his former career, Mr Latu helped oversee security for 57 venues employing more than 200 “bouncers”. Now, he uses those experiences to challenge young people’s attitudes to violence.
“If we look at the 15 years I worked as a bouncer myself and then at the nightclubs we ran security for, you could say that almost every single fight we saw started over something trivial – like a spilled drink or looking at someone the ‘wrong’ way’,” he said.
“It sounds ridiculous but that’s how it begins.
“Walking away is one of the most important skills you’ll ever learn in these situations – it’s also one of the hardest.
“It’s not just the fear of looking weak that stops people. People often take someone else’s behaviour personally, seeing it as a direct challenge or disrespect – and when you add excessive alcohol consumption into the mix, those reactions become even more intense and difficult to control.”
New data released this month paints adds another, disturbing, dimension.
A survey of 10,000 Australian high school students attending the Foundation’s presentations reveals half believe that “sometimes people deserve to be hit”, while 45 per cent think “some things need to be solved by force”.
Equally as troubling 30 per cent of males believe “most people respect others who use physical force”.
Post presentation polling however demonstrates a significant shift in these perceptions, with the figures dropping by as much as 15 per cent.
Mr Latu said the findings highlighted the need to address how young people understood and responded to conflict.
This is his fourth visit to the Northern Territory, during which he has reached almost 9000 teenagers – exploring with them the impacts of violence, how to “read a room” and the importance of situational awareness, understanding common triggers for anger, coping strategies, as well as dealing with aggressive individuals.
“When you throw a punch you can’t control the outcome,” he said. “The consequences of that spilt second decision can follow you for the rest of your life.
“Nineteen-year-old Pat Cronin was only struck once, with a blow to his head from behind. This shocks a lot of the young people I speak to, when they realise how fragile life can be.”
This month marked the 10th anniversary of Pat’s death, who was attempting to drag a mate away from a scuffle at Melbourne venue when he was struck. Although he initially appeared unharmed he later lost consciousness due to inoperable brain bleeding.
Two days later, his devastated family was forced to make the heartbreaking decision to turn off his life support.
Rosebery Secondary School principal Ren Beynon described the Foundation’s presentations as “critical messaging”, with Mr Latu delivering two sessions to 300 students there on Tuesday.
“The impact the presentations and the story of Pat Cronin has on students is far-reaching. At the end of the sessions you can see the tears on a lot of their faces – even the tough guys,” said Ms Beynon.
Mr Latu is one of eight facilitators with the Foundation. The organisation offers a range of evidence-based presentations, all aligned with the Australian Curriculum
