The Keep Safe Stay Cool Program provides education to young people about Domestic Violence and promotes healthier relationship choices.  KSSC offers interactive participation aiming to challenge young people’s attitudes, beliefs and values regarding interpersonal relationships.  Presentations are prepared by young people for young people/ youth groups, mainly targeting Year 10 classes, with 2x 90 minute sessions conducted over 2 weeks.

Keep Safe Stay Cool is a Peer Education Program which is a method of education, in which the young people themselves are active players and decision-makers in the learning process.  Peer Education is based on an empowerment perspective, as young people’s knowledge and experiences are similar to that of their peer group and relationship issues that form.  Peer Education sessions are extremely beneficial as they provide education among equals and encourage active involvement and development of young people through information-sharing, interaction and debate. 

Domestic, family and relationship violence can have their first manifestations in adolescence, as young men and women begin to develop and express values, beliefs, expectations and attitudes regarding relationships and the use of violence in them.   What happens in regard to the use of violence in these relationships is critical in reinforcing beliefs and attitudes that either support or detract from the acceptability of relationship violence (Indermaur, Atkinson & Blagg,1998b, p. 11)

Knowledge, attitudes and beliefs are influenced by general background factors such as culture and resources, education, families and social settings. They affect health through influencing lifestyle behaviours, help-seeking behaviours, and other health decisions (Australia’s Health no 10 (2006) Australian Institute of Health and Welfare: Canberra).

KSSC challenges knowledge, attitudes and beliefs by submitting a pre-session and a post-session questionnaire.  Previous surveys on KSSC have outlined significant change in attitudes and beliefs about Domestic Violence. 

Download pre session - post session questionnaire: