Netflix's hit series 13 Reasons Why covers a range of difficult but important topics, including depression, suicide, sexual assault, and bullying. But one country has found the popular show's subject matter—specifically, its depiction of rape and suicide—to be troublesome, and as a result they're forbidden teenagers from watching it without adult supervision.
New Zealand's Office of Film & Literature Classification just created a rating specifically for 13 Reasons Why that restricts anyone under the age of 18 from watching the Netflix series without adult supervision. "This classification allows the intended audience of young people to continue to access the series, while providing the necessary intervention of adult supervision in order to keep them safe and sufficiently navigate the relevant but troubling issues that we acknowledge as a part of their lived reality," a release from the office states.
Particularly, the New Zealand office was concerned about the portrayals of both Hannah's and Jessica's sexual assaults, as well as the graphic scene depicting Hannah's death by suicide. It cited issues of how "the series does not offer any positive examples of appropriate responses to rape disclosures" and how the scene is "presented fatalistically." "Her death is represented at times as not only a logical, but an unavoidable outcome of the events that follow," the release says. "Suicide is preventable, and most people who experience suicidal thoughts are not thinking rationally and therefore cannot make logical decisions."
The office went as far as to deem the suicide scene irresponsible and potentially dangerous. "The scene depicting Hannah's suicide is...explicit about the method of suicide she uses, to the point where it could be considered instructional," the release states. "It was detailed and lengthy, and is likely to have caused distress and an increased risk of suicide in people who are vulnerable."
Related: '13 Reasons Why' Is Not the Force for Mental Health Awareness People Say It Is
New Zealand isn't alone in their criticism—mental health experts previously told SELF that the show glamorizes and exploits suicide. They fear it has the potential of leading to a copycat effect rather than raising awareness.
In addition to the age restriction, New Zealand is also requiring that Netflix display clear warnings about each episode and the series as a whole. (In the U.S. version of the series, the episodes where Jessica and Hannah are raped, as well as the episode featuring Hannah's death, feature trigger warnings at their outset.) The warnings will include help-seeking information, including local help lines, websites, support numbers, and crisis services.
Despite its criticism of the show, the office did recognize that 13 Reasons Why has "significant merit." "It addresses issues that are highly relevant to young people, including suicide, sexual violence, bullying, and slut-shaming," the release states. "[It] presents a good opportunity to raise awareness around youth mental health issues."
It's also important to note that one of the main points of the series is that the adults in the lives of Hannah, Clay, and the rest of the Liberty High gang are relatively clueless about the events transpiring among the students for most of the plot. For instance, Hannah's parents were shocked by her death, guidance counselor Mr. Porter suggested she just "move on" when she intimated that she had been raped, and Clay's mom struggles to understand what her son is going through throughout the show. It remains to be seen whether requiring teens to watch the show with an adult IRL will bridge any of communication gaps like those depicted in the series.
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.
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- Depression Is the Leading Cause of Disability Worldwide
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