Netflix recently released the second season of its original series, 13 Reasons Why, a show that quickly became a cultural phenomenon last summer. In the aftermath of Season One, parents and educators across the country learned that teens want to talk about the difficult issues addressed in the show.
Producers say the show was originally created to encourage viewers to examine their own lives and how they treat others, as well as to start conversations about difficult topics. It is important that those conversations have parental intervention. Topics addressed in the show include rape, cutting, bullying, depression and suicide. Whether or not your children have watched the show, these resources created by Focus on the Family will help equip you for sensitive conversations:
Know that the resources about 13 Reasons Why are not an endorsement of the show. Rather, they are intended to help you understand the series and to equip you to initiate and navigate discussions about these difficult topics. It will take intentionality and courage on your part to begin the conversations, but you will be grateful you did.