Over the years I have come to see the role of Theatre in this kind of classroom situation. The major US director/producer, Peter Sellars, made the memorable observation that the role of theatre back to the time of ancient Greeks has been to enable people to speak about the otherwise unspeakable: "Hey! I'm not talking about me. We're talking about what's up there on the screen."
So, what if one said to a class, "Have you kids ever written a play? No? Well, we're going to write a play today! Let's write a play about a kid who's growing up in a house where someone is getting hurt. What should that kid's name be? And where is the house: in town or out in the country? And who else lives there? What are their names? And what are they like? And why are they that way? How did that happen? Etc.
There will undoubtedly be some parents who are upset. And the response will be: "Your kid is not talking about his family. This is make-believe. The kids are learning about how plays are written!"