“Don’t just stand by”: Beau Brownbill backs free national campaign to stop youth violence before it starts

“Don’t just stand by”: Beau Brownbill backs free national campaign to stop youth violence before it starts

Eighteen-year-old Beau Brownbill was left with a permanent traumatic brain injury after being punched on Hindley Street in February. Today he joined his mum Megan and Sammy D Foundation co-founder Neil Davis to launch Be an Upstander. Be the Mate., a free national campaign asking every school in Australia to teach young people how to step in before violence happens.

The free national campaign, launched today in Adelaide, runs in the lead-up to the International Day against Violence and Bullying at School, including Cyberbullying, on Thursday 5 November. Every primary and secondary school in the country can register for free, and schools from every state and territory have already signed up before launch, representing more than 15,000 students.

Sammy D Foundation CEO Jannine Jackson said the Foundation was done with responding after the fact.

“Every week we hear another story. Another young person hurt. Another family whose life has changed overnight. And every time, we know the same thing: it didn’t have to happen,” Ms Jackson said.

“We have the evidence that prevention works. A year after our Impact program, almost one in five young people told us they’d already had to use what they learned, to walk away, calm things down or keep a mate safe. These moments are happening early, and kids need the skills before they do.”

Megan Brownbill said the family was speaking out so no other family would get the phone call they did.

“One split-second decision can destroy multiple lives in an instant,” Ms Brownbill said.

“When you choose to be a bystander, or worse, encourage a fight, you become part of the problem. But pulling your friend away, de-escalating a situation or speaking up isn’t backing down. It takes real courage, and being an upstander can literally save a life.”

Beau said he wanted his generation to look out for each other better.

“That one second of anger, that one split-second decision to throw a punch, changes everything forever. It didn’t just change my life. It impacted my family, my friends and everyone who cares about me,” he said.

“If you see a situation escalating, that’s your moment to step in. True strength isn’t backing up someone who is out of line, it’s having the guts to say, ‘Hey, let’s go home.’ Don’t just stand by. Be the mate who stops the violence before it even starts.”

Neil Davis lost his 17-year-old son Sam to a single punch in 2008. He said that 18 years on, families are still getting that call.

“What happened to Sam never leaves us. But I’ve also seen what happens when schools keep the conversation going,” Mr Davis said.

“Beau said real strength is having the guts to say ‘let’s go home’. That sounds simple, but it takes confidence, and confidence takes practice. If a young person has practised speaking up at twelve, in a classroom with their friends, it’s a lot easier to do at eighteen when it really counts.”

Former Fiji rugby international and Sammy D Foundation champion Alex Rokobaro said kids learn what strength looks like from the adults around them.

“The strongest people I’ve played alongside weren’t the ones looking for a fight. They were the ones who kept their heads when things got heated, and could look a mate in the eye and say, ‘It’s not worth it,’” Mr Rokobaro said.

“So to every school: sign up. To every parent and coach: back it up. And to every young person: be an upstander. Be the mate.”

Every registered school receives a free digital resource suite, including ten adaptable mini-lessons, teacher safeguarding and student disclosure guidance, a student pledge and resources to keep the conversation going at home. Schools can run a single 15-minute lesson or build a whole-school experience. Lessons cover witnessing bullying, recognising when conflict is escalating, seeking help and knowing when to walk away.

There are also free resources for parents and carers. Ms Jackson said what young people hear at home matters just as much.

“We consistently hear young people say the advice they’ve been given at home is, ‘if someone hits you, hit them back’. We understand where that comes from, but we also know how quickly retaliation can escalate, and how one decision in the heat of the moment can have devastating consequences,” she said.

The Foundation’s vision is for every young Australian to have access to its evidence-informed prevention programs, but without ongoing funding, that isn’t yet possible. Be an Upstander. Be the Mate. gives every school, whatever its budget or location, a place to start.

Schools can register for free, and parents and carers can access free resources, at bethemate.au.