- Office of Attorney General Maura Healey
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Chloe Gotsis
Foxborough — Nearly one year after announcing a partnership to combat relationship violence, Attorney General Maura Healey and Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft today hosted a summit at Gillette Stadium for schools and organizations around the state that are participating in their anti-violence program.
During the initial phase of “Game Change: The Patriots Anti-Violence Partnership,” nearly 200 staff from 90 schools and nine domestic violence organizations from across the state were trained in preventing relationship violence and intervening as bystanders. The trainings were conducted by Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP), a nationwide leader in addressing violence prevention. Run by the Center for Sport in Society at Northeastern University, MVP uses a sports-themed curriculum and employs collegiate athletes and former professional athletes as trainers.
WBZ-TV news anchor Lisa Hughes moderated a discussion with AG Healey and Kraft on the impact of the Game Change program and its next steps.
“One in three young people experiences some form of abuse in a relationship. Our aim is to disrupt that cycle at an early age,” AG Healey said. “By teaching high school students about the impact of violence and training them to be peer leaders, we can empower them to treat each other with dignity and respect and instill in them a healthier view of relationships. Our hope is that this will lead to generational and cultural change.”
“The number of domestic abuse and sexual assault cases in this country is staggering,” Kraft said. “We want to be a part of an effort to affect change. We know the societal issue of violence needs to be tackled from all angles, including preventive measures like those delivered through our Game Change program. I think with Maura Healey’s leadership and the education provided through the MVP program that we will begin a generational change. I'm grateful to the students and school officials who have already pledged to help end teen and domestic violence.”
Today’s event at Gillette Stadium was an opportunity for staff from schools and organizations that participated in the first phase of the Game Change program to meet, share and learn from each other’s experiences. The summit drew staff and students from 34 schools across the state.
“Springfield Central High School is honored to partner with the New England Patriots Foundation and Attorney General Healey to teach and coach our students in developing positive social skills and character strengths,” said Jean Marvel, a Game Change participant and teacher at Springfield Central High School. “Game Change is a significant part of our efforts to teach students to understand and deal with inter-personal conflicts constructively. The MVP materials provided through the AG’s Office and the Patriots Foundation are significant tools in helping us reach students in where they are now and improving and changing their game.”
Following the trainings, teachers and coaches returned to their schools and began planning for implementation of the anti-violence curriculum. Several schools have already begun applying the new Game Change curriculum, including Chicopee High School, which is actively training its students and Springfield Central High School which is planning to make MVP training mandatory for all incoming athletes.
Beginning this fall, MVP will also provide more in-depth trainings to 30 high schools statewide in partnership with local domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy organizations. At each school, students will be trained to become peer leaders who can teach younger students about healthy relationships and bystander intervention. The advocacy organizations will also help train school staff and parents and work with school administrators on policies and services for students and families dealing with violence.
For a full list of all the schools who participated in the first phase of Game Change, visit http://www.mass.gov/ago/gamechange.
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