13 Reasons Why: Parents urged to talk to their children ahead of Netflix series launch
WITH season two of controversial series 13 Reasons Why airing tonight, mental health experts have renewed calls encouraging parents to talk with their teenage children about suicide.
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SERIES two of controversial series 13 Reasons Why launches tonight, with parents warned not to let their children watch it alone.
The show, based on a book about a schoolgirl who commits suicide, made headlines last year with mental health authorities claiming it glamorised the issue.
The Netflix show is due to air at 5pm Australian-time, but this time comes with dedicated online resources that experts urge parents to use to talk with their teenagers about suicide before letting them watch it.
13 Reasons Why, which stars Australian actor Katherine Langford, also brings in many other “really distressing themes” including sexual assault and bullying.
Headspace senior clinical adviser Nick Duigan said the organisation had “significant concerns and warnings” after feeling the impact of the first season.
This time around, Netflix approached Headspace before the new season to brief the organisation and give them time to prepare “good quality” information on a series of “really distressing themes”.
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Season 2 also has the potential to be “very unsafe but don’t let it get to that stage”, he said.
“The message is, get informed. Start conversations early and at a time when both parties aren’t rushed, stressed or pressured. Be willing to hear young people out. Be prepared on how to support them. Watch for changes for what is normal for them. Watching the show is different for every person, dependent on earlier experiences..”
Headspace developed a series of tools based around the show after the first season aired. Mr Duigan said the show does raise many talking points and could help parents connect more with their children.
“It can be helpful and useful and lead to really good outcomes but for others it may not be the case,” he said. “Build a support network and watch it together.”
This is also the theme of The Sunday Telegraph’s ongoing Can We Talk? campaign, which encourages parents to have difficult conversations with their children rather than ignore those topics and possibly increase the risk of suicide.
Mindframe Suicide Prevention program manager Marc Bryant said parents need to use the online resources available.
“Netflix came to us late last year and wanted to hear our ideas. We said that if we are on the front foot with new shows that have sensitive content, we can help with mitigating strategies and, in the case of 13 Reasons Why season two, agencies such as Headspace being able to prepare schools for difficult conversations,” he said. “13 Reasons Why opened up conversations. However health experts, such as Mindframe, say the evidence shows it has the potential to trigger vulnerable audiences.
“Others felt it was helpful to shown the hard realities of suicide.”
13 Reasons Why executive producer Brian Yorkey told The Sunday Telegraph the goal was “to make a show that could get parents and teens talking”.
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“We wanted to speak to young people, and to the lives they live today, and to do that we had to tell the truth. We had to be honest about the painful reality of suicide. To shy away from it, or worse, to make it look less painful than it is, would be dishonest and deceptive in the worst way. We needed to be clear that the experience was horrific, and that the pain for those left behind is devastating. We’re not endorsing Hannah’s choice — quite the opposite. We wanted to make it very clear that there is nothing glamorous about Hannah’s decision, the act itself, or the aftermath. It’s so important that families are able to talk about the struggles teens face today.
“Rather than glamorising any of these issues, research from Northwestern University has shown that Season 1 actually raised awareness of difficult topics and started important conversations. Throughout the Season 2 creative process, we have been working closely with expert organisations across the world to develop resources that offer information, advice and support to anyone affected by the issues highlighted in 13 Reasons Why.”
Langford, who plays Hannah Baker, the character that commits suicide in season one, said she had not just become a face of anti-bullying but also offered for troubled teens to contact her.
“Young people have it a lot harder now in terms of bullying and social media,” she said.
“With the internet there is this ability to have faceless bullying or just put out words that are harmful without any face-to-face consequence. But that is why I felt it was important to be on social media. If they needed a page or want a space or a profile or if they just want to reach out, they are able to go there and connect to me via that.”
CAN WE TALK:
Kids Helpline1800 55 1800www.kidshelpline.com.au
headspace1800 650 890www.headspace.org.au
Reachout www.reachout.com
Head to Health www.headtohealth.gov.au
Lifeline13 11 14www.lifeline.org.au
Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467suicidecallbackservice.org.au
MensLine Australia 1300 789 978www.mensline.org.au
beyondblue 1300 224 636www.beyondblue.org.au
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