Recently, there has been significant conversation as well as flat-out controversy regarding a new show on Netflix. The program, “13 Reasons Why,” has struck a chord with many people.
If you are not aware, the plot is that a high school girl has recently taken her own life and has left a cassette tape for 13 people who may have had a role in the events leading up to her death. Although the situations are delicate, the handling of them in the show is deliberately poignant, even graphic. Critics have alternately praised the program for its straightforward approach and lamented its alleged glamorization of teenage issues like bullying, assault and suicide. It has been an interesting case study on society and how we choose to approach current issues, especially with our young.
[See: 9 Things to Do or Say When a Loved One Talks About Taking Their Life.]
To spark a productive conversation on the subject, the data should be addressed. Let’s start with bullying. Over 3 million kids under age 18 report being bullied each year. This results in 160,000 of them skipping school every day. The reasons may sound eerily similar from generation to generation: looks, body shape and race. But there are emerging threats to self-esteem that were not part of previous generations, such as cyberbullying. Around 1 in 3 children reports being threatened online and more than half admit to purposely hurting someone via the internet.
The most rapidly growing form of technology hazing? Soliciting and circulating nude photos of teens by classmates, which has an unknown but suspected very high incidence. For all forms of bullying, estimates suggest that 64 percent of kids and teens do not report the instances to anyone and are two-and-a-half times more likely to attempt suicide. It is also interesting to note that 57 percent of bullies will cease their activity if a peer intervenes.
[See: What to Say and Do If Your Daughter Thinks She’s Fat.]
Turning the spotlight on teen sexual assault adds alarming additional data. In a recently released study, 17,000 sexual assaults occurred between students in grade schools, middle schools and high schools over four years in the locations surveyed. The offenses ranged from fondling to forced oral sex to rape and sodomy. These activities were shown to increase from about age 10 until 14 and then slowly decline through the end of high school. The study also shows that students are seven times more likely to be sexually assaulted by a peer than by a teacher. And while colleges and universities are required to track sexual assaults as a matter of record, no such oversight occurs in schools prior to high school graduation.
And, finally, teen suicide data reflects an ever growing but somewhat silent epidemic. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the 10- to 24-year-old age group. It is second to accidents, although some data cast into question whether certain self-inflicted deaths are, in fact, suicides only classified as something else for the sake of sensitivity. While 80 percent of children and teens will give warning signs, these are often not recognized and acted upon. Every day in our country there are half a million suicide attempts in this age range, and 12 of them will be successful. Each and every day. So while the awareness might be lacking, the outcome of the epidemic is anything but silent.
With these statistics, it’s clear that something needs to be done urgently. We tell children and teens to go to a trusted adult if they need help, but we do not train enough people to be able to have those crucial conversations. Indeed, many adults have difficulty even confronting their own issues, let alone counseling a distraught teen. We are seeing increased hospitalizations for suicide attempts every day. Another recent study uncovered that hospitalizations for suicidal thoughts have doubled in the last decade alone, especially in teenage girls. The peaks are seen in fall and spring, correlating to the beginning and end of the school year. Half are in girls ages 15 to 17. The estimate is that only 20 to 30 percent of those actually in need ever make it to the hospital.
[See: 10 of the Biggest Health Threats Facing Your Kids This School Year.]
So having said all of that, is the firestorm around “13 Reasons Why” warranted? There is clearly data supporting the growing epidemic of teen suicide and the overwhelming need to stem the tide of these tragedies. Each of the events depicted in the show leading up to the eventual climax is reflected in the data discussed here. The triggers appear to be known, even if they are not understood in total. Other efforts, such as the U.K. royal family’s initiative, Heads Together, which stresses the need to openly discuss mental health issues, gets accolades across the world. Possibly, the fundamental message is the same: We have to start talking in order to begin to start healing.
Obviously, “13 Reasons Why” takes a public and rather stark approach to the subject. At times in the series, the events are brutal and heart-wrenching. But honestly, that is the reality of the chain of events discussed. To make an impression, maybe we have to be totally transparent to evoke honest discussion.
Certainly it raises concern that at-risk youth could be triggered by the events as depicted. Some schools and professional societies, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, have sent warnings pertaining to at-risk youth. However, as the show sadly points out, identifying who all is at risk can be very difficult. For that reason, and to make sure that appropriate conversation is sparked, perhaps all young people should watch the show with a supportive adult who can help determine when to take breaks and how to put the subject matter into the context of useful dialogue.
Amid the firestorm of controversy around the series, there remains one striking point: Maybe the intended audience is not at-risk youth but rather the bullies, the fickle friends, the idle bystanders and the-ill equipped adults who contribute to the growing epidemic of self-harm by our teenagers. Perhaps it is an attempt to hold up a mirror and sound a call to action before it is too late for the 12 teens who will successfully, tragically end their lives today. Maybe that is the only reason why.
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Is the Firestorm Around ’13 Reasons Why’ Warranted? originally appeared on usnews.com
