13 Reasons Why: Morris County Superintendent Shares Mental Health Resources

EAST HANOVER, NJ — Amid the wild popularity of Netflix's 13 Reason's Why, one Morris County school district is sharing information with parents about some of the topics death with in the show, including rape and suicide.

Carol Grossi, the superintendent in the Hanover Park Regional High School District, sent a letter home to parents with mental health resources, including a letter from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) warning against watching the series.

"It has come to my attention that high school aged students are viewing this popular series. The District feels an obligation to provide you with some information," Grossi wrote, before sharing the phone numbers for three suicide prevention hotlines.

13 Reasons Why, based on Jay Asher's book by the same name, unravels the events that lead 17-year-old Hannah Baker to take her own life. Baker lists these reasons on 13 cassette tapes, and has them passed around to the people she feels contributed to her death, primarily other students.

NASP has warned against vulnerable youth, including those who have struggled with self-harm or suicidal ideation, watching the show.

"Its powerful storytelling may lead impressionable viewers to romanticize the choices made by the characters and/or develop revenge fantasies," NASP wrote. They encouraged parents to discuss the series with their children, citing research that shows exposure to a depiction of suicide can draw an already-struggling person closer to suicide.

The show tackles difficult subjects such as sexuality, bullying, and drunk driving. It also shows graphic depictions of rape, and of Hannah's suicide. Multiple school districts around New Jersey have warned parents about the series, and encouraged them to discuss the issue with their children.

You can read the NASP's full letter here.

Netflix has stood behind the series, which has been incredibly popular among teenagers and young adults.

“We support the unflinching vision of the show’s creators, who engaged the careful advice of medical professionals in the scriptwriting process,” a Netflix spokesperson told a reporter.

You can watch the trailer here:

Image via YouTube Screenshot

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