BOSTON, Dec. 15, 2015—Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley and a group of Boston’s elected officials yesterday gathered at an East Boston middle school to honor students graduating from anti-violence training.

Conley, Senator Anthony Petruccelli, Representative Adrian Madaro, and Boston City Councilor Sal LaMattina yesterday spoke to 29 seventh graders at Mario Umana Academy, who had completed the six-week Overcoming Violence curriculum offered through Conley’s office.  Each student received a certificate of achievement for their successful completion of the course.

Overcoming Violence uses an interview documentary, site visits, group discussions, and guest speakers – including Suffolk prosecutors and victim-witness advocates, police officers, and corrections officers – to educate students about the root causes of violence as well as the long-term consequences of both positive and negative decisions.

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley was joined by Community Relations Director Tanya Brussa-Pagan, State Rep. Adrian Madaro, Boston City Councilor Sal LaMattina, State Sen. Anthony Petruccelli, and Mario Umana Academy teacher Ms. Wendy Santana to honor seventh graders who graduated from Conley’s Overcoming Violence program.

Schools across Suffolk County have been using the Overcoming Violence as a teaching tool, but prosecutors recognized the importance of bringing it to East Boston after the fatal stabbings of two 15-year-old boys there in September.

“Young people are far and away our most powerful partners in preventing youth violence.  By having an open dialog with kids and teens about how they can avoid harmful choices, we can improve their lives and the safety of our communities,” Conley said.

The anti-violence training program was launched by Conley’s office in 2004 as Understanding Violence.  The curriculum was retooled and updated last year with the help of Conley’s director of community relations, Tanya Brussa-Pagan, as well as graduate students in the UMass Boston Master’s in Human Services program, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, Boston Public Schools students, and the Boston Police Department.

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