Schools worry TV series glorifies suicide
Some Montreal-area schools and school boards are reaching out to parents to warn them about the potential negative effects on vulnerable youth of the popular Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, and offering tips and facts about suicide prevention. The series, released in March, is based on the novel Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.
It deals with the suicide of a teenage girl, Hannah, who leaves behind a series of audiotapes explaining how the actions of 13 people contributed to her decision to end her life. The shows revisit events in Hannah’s life, including examples of how she was bullied, ridiculed and raped, and the last episode features a gory depiction of her death.
The series has garnered praise from critics and is causing a buzz on social media, helped by the fact that Selena Gomez is the show’s executive producer.
But mental health professionals are raising concerns the series may glorify and even encourage suicide among vulnerable young people. Netflix has added more viewer warnings in response to the outcry.
This week, which happens to be Mental Health Week in Canada, the English Montreal School Board emailed messages to parents noting that the series depicts an “actual suicide in a very graphic manner.”
“Please note that many children and youth have watched the series without their parents’ knowledge and many more are likely to watch it,” the message reads.
“Should students speak openly about the show, guide the conversations towards critical thinking and reinforce the message that when students experience distress, they can seek out help from adults.”
EMSB chairperson Angela Mancini said the board has not recommended parents forbid their children from watching the series.
It’s up to parents to decide what their kids watch, she said, but the board decided to be proactive and warn parents to be vigilant about how the series may be affecting their kids.
“I’m a mom, and I know parents are always concerned about keeping on top of what our children are doing and how they are feeling,” Mancini said in a telephone interview.
“We have to raise awareness (about suicide and mental health) but it’s how you raise awareness without causing damage.”
The EMSB message includes a link to a handout about the Netflix series produced by The National Association of School Psychologists.
According to that document, the NASP does not recommend that “vulnerable youth, especially those who have a degree of suicidal ideation, watch this series. Its powerful storytelling may lead impressionable viewers to romanticize the choices made by the characters and/or develop revenge fantasies.”
It notes that adult characters in the show, including one of the school counsellors, “do not inspire a sense of trust or ability to help.” It includes guidance for teachers about how to use the popularity of the series as an opportunity to do suicide prevention.
Dr. Rob Whitley, assistant professor in McGill University’s department of psychiatry, said the show has pros and cons. It has “put suicide on the map” in a way, in that young people are discussing the issue, “but not necessarily in the way we want.”
It does accurately portray some of the risk factors that can lead to depression and suicide, such as bullying and sexual assault, he said, but there is too much glorifying of the choice the main character has made to end her life, he said.
“There is a sense when you watch the show that (suicide) is being portrayed as an acceptable way to escape from insurmountable problems, just the way Kurt Cobain’s suicide or those of other famous musicians,” were sometimes portrayed, Whitley said.
“In reality, a lot of people who kill themselves actually have treatable mental illnesses and their situations can be changed,” if they get proper help, he added.
Whitley expressed concern about “revenge fantasies” that the show seems to encourage.
“Some people could see suicide as an effective way of getting back at people who have hurt them, but the best revenge is to live your life well, to thrive and flourish and lead your life well into the future.”
Jillian Rudnitsky, a clinical social worker who practises in a high school and in private practice in the West Island specializing in anxiety management, says many of the students she sees are talking about the show lately. Though she worries about the show’s impact, it has given her an opportunity to discuss the issues it raises with them.
“It created a buzz. It brought viewers. And yes, it started a very important conversation,” Rudnitsky said.
“I’m not saying don’t let your children watch it. I get that they want to be part of the conversations with everyone who has already seen it. What I’m saying is watch it with them or, at the very least, talk to them about it.
“Use this to get a pulse on their life and to have an open and honest discussion about how they’re feeling overall.
“Remind them that there is always someone to talk to, be it a family members, teacher, friend, school counsellor or outside mental health professional.”
In reality, a lot of people who kill themselves actually have treatable mental illnesses and their situations can be changed.