A visiting theatre group performed a play for our Year 8 students, a very active and energetic portrayal of Chelsea’s Choice, a story with a very serious message about the dangers of child sexual exploitation. The play shows a story being told about a girl who found herself manipulated in to a terrible situation that she could not escape from.

It demonstrated to students the dangerous situations in which they can unwittingly find themselves, showing the bad choices that Chelsea made. The play breaks from the main story to discuss what has happened in each section to show how she could have made different decisions and prevented herself from going in the wrong direction. It conveyed the message that making the wrong decision can so easily lead them in a direction that they do not mean to go in, and before they know it, without even realising what is happening, it is too late and they are trapped.

It was a strong, powerful performance which raised awareness of the risks of child sexual exploitation and the devastating impact that it has on a young person’s life and their family. It gave the students valuable knowledge and information to protect themselves and to better recognise the signs that they are heading in to a risky situation.