13 Reasons Why Netflix Series
Important Information for Parents
Dear Parents and Guardians,
The following information comes for the American School
Counselor Association (ASCA). We hope this information will be useful to you
and your student.
The Netflix series “13 Reasons Why” has highlighted the
impact of bullying, sexual assault, violence, grief and teen suicide. If peers,
friends and families aren’t prepared to intervene and provide support when a
student needs help, problems can arise.
As a follow up to the May release of the second season of “13 Reasons
Why,” we wanted to provide some resources that may be valuable to you and your
student as you discuss the issues presented in the series.
Some of these difficult topics include:
·
Bullying
·
Grief
·
School violence
·
Mental health concerns (stress, depression, anxiety,
etc.)
·
Sexual assault
·
Unhealthy peer relationships
To begin the discussion with your student, here are some sample conversations
starters you can present before or after watching each episode of “13 Reasons
Why.” Additional conversation starters can be found in the “13 Reasons Why”
discussion guide at www.13reasonswhy.info
·
What do you think about what happened in this episode?
·
Do you think the characters in the show are behaving
in ways that are similar to people you know? How so? How are they different?
·
Did parts of the story make you think about how people
who are struggling do not show the full picture of what they are dealing with
to others?
·
What did you learn about “so-and-so character’s”
situation from this episode? For example, what did you learn about what
happened to Jessica and sexual assault?
·
How does what you have seen change how you view some
things that happen in real life?
·
Do you think the adults did anything wrong? What could
they have done better?
Students’ personal struggles often come to light when
triggered by a tragic event, uncomfortable experience or viewing/hearing a form
of media (television show, film, music, etc.) that touches on sensitive topics.
It’s important for peers, families and school staff to be on the lookout for
warning signs that indicate a student needs support:
·
changes in school performance (e.g. grades,
attendance)
·
changes in mood
·
increased disciplinary problems at school
·
complaints of illness
·
problems experienced at home or family situations
(stress, trauma, divorce, substance abuse, poverty, domestic violence)
·
communication from teachers about problems at school
·
withdrawal
·
difficulty dealing with existing mental health
concerns
We’ve included a list of websites and local resources for
your reference.
Netflix “13
Reasons Why” Resources
www.13reasonswhy.info
American
School Counselor Association “13 Reasons Why” Resources
www.schoolcounselor.org/13Reasons
Coalition to
Support Grieving Students
www.grievingstudents.org
National
Sexual Violence Resource Center
www.nsvrc.org
The National
Center for Victims of Crime
www.victimsofcrime.org
American
Foundation for Suicide Prevention
www.afsp.org
In addition,
here are some confidential resources you or your student could use:
Text
NEEDHELP to 85511, the CrisisText
Call the
Crisis Link Regional Hotline at 703-527-4077
Remember, if you or your student, has a question or concern,
please contact your Poe counselor or the main office to be connected with your
student’s counselor.
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