Powerful drama to help teens avoid abusive relationships

November 17, 2015 by Southend Borough Council

Powerful drama to help teens avoid abusive relationships

Tuesday 17th November 2015

A hard-hitting theatre piece is helping Southend pupils learn to recognise and avoid teenage relationship abuse.

The show, ‘Prince Charming’ is being delivered by local group, Outloud Productions as part of a borough-wide campaign.

Before each performance starts, students are professionally guided through a discussion about different types of domestic abuse, including physical, emotional, cyber and financial.

Then the drama begins. It tracks Zoe’s new relationship with her brother’s friend Ben, and over six scenes shows the development of a controlling abusive relationship.

Young people then watch the play again but this time they control what happens to Zoe by putting their hands up and saying stop.

Each time they do this, they explain the abuse they have seen and how they want to change the course of events.

A total of 14 schools or colleges are due to host the production during the fortnight of the campaign which finishes on Friday, and which this week also coincides with Anti-Bullying week.

By the end of this year’s campaign run by the Council’s Public Health team, it is estimated that a further 2,100 Southend pupils will have seen the play and taken part in the vital discussions about it.

Executive Councillor for Health and Adult Social Care, Councillor James Moyies said: “This interactive production is an excellent way to help young people become much more aware of how to recognise and say no to unacceptable behaviours in relationships.

“It is a crucial part of their personal development to be prepared with this depth of understanding of relationships.

“We hope that in future this may become a regular fixture in the Personal, Social and Health Education curriculum.

“We know from the feedback received so far, that students and schools have found this challenging drama very thought-provoking and valuable.”