'13 Reasons Why': Brookfield Superintendent Warns Parents of New Netflix Series

Editor's Note: The following story may contain spoilers.

BROOKFIELD, CT — A new Netflix series has sounded alarms among mental health professionals and school administrators nationwide. "13 Reasons Why," based on a 2007 book by Jay Asher, details the story of how a classmate uses 13 tapes left behind following a teenage girl's suicide to figure out the her reasons for committing suicide.

Following the release of the show, Brookfield Superintendent John Barile wrote a letter to parents cautioning them of the show that has become popular among students in the district. Barile urged parents to discuss some of the issues raised in the show with their kids if they permit their child to watch.

Danbury's superintendent sent a similar message to parents Wednesday.

"The topics covered in this book and series deal with adolescent bullying, rejection, heartbreak, sexual assault, abuse, revenge, depression and suicide," wrote Barile. "There may be danger to our youth in watching this series without adult supervision because it romanticizes and sensationalizes the idea of suicide."

While not endorsing the content, Barile shared a Jed Foundation link providing parents with talking pointsfor a discussion with their child regarding the show. With suicide being the third-leading cause of death among ages 10 to 24, many mental health experts are concerned with the show's content.

Those outside the expert community have also raised concerns about the show. A recent Rolling Stone opinion piece said the show could glamorize teen suicide and does not paint an accurate picture of the tragedy.

"Dead is dead, and as much as it may be hard to portray that on screen, 13 Reasons Why fails to end the last episode with closure," wrote Alexa Curtis of the Rolling Stone."For teens who are battling mental health issues, witnessing the end of a life as easily as the show portrayed it could help desensitize kids to this very serious matter."

Barile says the district hopes to support students and to have conversations about difficult topics such as those in 13 Reasons Why.

"As a district, we cannot always be aware of what students choose to view, but we hope that together we can support our students to have conversations about difficult topics so that they feel supported and able to understand and manage when faced with said difficulties," wrote Barile.

You can read Barile's full letter below:

Dear Parent and Guardians,

I am sending this letter to inform you that the Netflix series based on Jay Asher’s 2007 book entitled
“Thirteen Reasons Why” has gained in popularity among many students. The topics covered in this book
and series deal with adolescent bullying, rejection, heartbreak, sexual assault, abuse, revenge, depression
and suicide. There may be danger to our youth in watching this series without adult supervision
because it romanticizes and sensationalizes the idea of suicide.

The book provides 13 reasons related to interactions with peers, family and school personnel justifying
the teenaged lead character’s ultimate decision to commit suicide. This type of content can be very
difficult to watch and could easily trigger feelings of distress in vulnerable viewers. The target market for
this series is the teen and pre-teen population. You can see the official trailer

here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt18...

In the event that your child chooses to view this series, you may wish to discuss some of the issues raised.
The producers have not taken into consideration the many pressures created by social media and the mass
marketing of products that present confusing messages about body image and human sexuality within
teen culture.

Often, our media culture simplifies complex mental health issues and their solutions. The media cycle is
fast paced, accessible content available in an instant. As a district, we cannot always be aware of what
students choose to view, but we hope that together we can support our students to have conversations
about difficult topics so that they feel supported and able to understand and manage when faced with said
difficulties.

While the district does not endorse any specific review or perspective on how to stay informed about
current media content, the following link can be a helpful resource to facilitate a conversation with your
child https://www.jedfoundation.org/...

Additionally, the National Association of School Psychologists has expressed concern over the

series. They have created a link to address the series: Link HERE: https://www.nasponline.org/resources-
and-publications/resources/school-safety-and-crisis/preventing-youth-suicide/13-reasons-why-netflix-
series-considerations-for-educators

I look forward to continuing to work together for the wellbeing of all our youth.
Sincerely,

John W. Barile

Image via the Brookfield Public Schools website