PHOTO BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
This image released by Netflix shows Katherine Langford in a scene from the series, “13 Reasons Why.”
By GAYLA CAWLEY
Local superintendents have alerted parents to their concerns about a new show, “13 Reasons Why,” which is centered around a teenage girl’s suicide.
According to a description of the Netflix show, based on a novel by the same name, after high school student Hannah Baker’s suicide, a classmate receives a series of tapes explaining the 13 reasons why Baker chose to carry out the act.
“While viewing the series, young children and teenagers could interpret the message that suicide is a viable or romanticized option,” Lynn Superintendent Dr. Catherine C. Latham wrote in a letter home to parents. “The content of the show is extremely graphic, with disturbing scenes in each episode, which may be difficult for impressionable minds to watch and process in a healthy way. It also addresses the issues of cyberbullying, alcoholism and depression.”
Latham said the series has several shortcomings: There is no mention of mental and behavioral health treatment options; the notion of suicide is glamorized; there are no examples of help-seeking by the teens portrayed in the series; there are several scenes depicting serious trauma including rape, bullying, alcoholism, fights and suicide in which the teens do not seek help or resources; and the graphic portrayal of Hannah’s actual suicide was unnecessary and potentially harmful to young people facing challenges.
Latham urges parents to talk to their children about the show or book, if they have seen or read it, and reminds them that there are resources, support and assistance available to them at the schools through their student support services. Some support services include social workers, school psychologists, school adjustment counselors, guidance counselors, principals and teachers.
Swampscott School Superintendent Pamela Angelakis provided The Item with a letter about the series sent home to parents from the Swampscott Public Schools Mental Health Task Force.
In the letter, the task force details some concerning themes: The series explicitly details a graphic death by suicide, and portrays it as the only viable option for the main character; there is no mention of mental illness, which is the leading cause of death by suicide; the adults in her life, namely her parents, school counselor and school administrators, fail the character and her peers over and over; there are no examples of appropriate or healthy coping strategies, nor is there any help-seeking that is successful; and school mental health providers act in unethical and incompetent ways throughout the series.
The task force also urges parents to find out if their child has watched the show or read the book, and recommends special caution if their child is vulnerable or has had suicidal ideation, because the “highly suggestive show could be risky for adolescents who struggle with isolation or self-harming behavior.”
“School counselors and mental health professionals in our district are highly trained professionals whose competencies include working with susceptible students,” the letter reads. “Be assured that the district counseling professionals are thoughtful, intentional, and ethical in their everyday work with your children.
“The district has created resources specifically designed to address our most vulnerable students, such as the recently created SWIFT and Harbor programs at Swampscott High School, which will be replicated at Swampscott Middle School next year.”
A letter sent home to parents from Lynnfield Superintendent Jane Tremblay touches on some of the same points, and warns about the possible dangers of allowing their children to watch the series.
She said youth could perceive the message that suicide is a viable and glamorous option to challenges and difficulties. She added that the graphic content and troubling scenes may be difficult for the teenage mind to watch and process in an appropriate way.
Tremblay provided a list of talking points for parents and their children regarding the series. One of those points is that “it is important to know that there are many treatment options for life’s challenges, distress, and mental illness” and that the illness is treatable.
Gayla Cawley can be reached at gcawley@itemlive.com. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley.