Dear Putnam Valley Community:
Yesterday, I attended our regional superintendents’ meeting and learned about a Netflix series, “13 Reasons Why,” that has caused great consternation and concern among mental health professionals and educators due to its approach to the topic of teen suicide, its graphic imagery and emotional sensationalism. The series has become a “phenomenon” for middle school students who are watching without parental guidance or knowledge. These young people are particularly susceptible to the displays that are found in the series. Trailers can be found on Youtube, but more important, I think, is the information provided by the National Association of School Psychologists and save.org attached to this email. If your child is watching this series, I hope that these materials will support you with helpful conversations about what the film portrays. There is a fine line between communication and exploitation. Whether that line is crossed with this production is unclear; what is certain is that as parents we want to be sure that our children’s exposure to this material will not have irrevocable consequences. We know that there have been several teen suicides recently in our region; we want to do everything in our power to prevent and intervene.
Sincerely,
Dr. Frances Wills
Superintendent of Schools
NASP – National Association of School Psychologists: Guidance for Families and Educators
Community resources: https://pvcsd.org/community/index.php