Details

13 Reasons Why is a youth culture phenomenon. Though it includes controversial subject matter and centers around difficult topics, it addresses issues many students face: abuse, bullying, depression, drug use, self-harm, and suicide.

This Processing Guide was created to offer viewers, families, youth workers and other caring adults or people of influence in the lives of young people a tool to help teens process these difficult subjects.

Included in each guide:
• Episodic content warnings.
• Episode-based thought-provoking questions to take a deeper look into scene subject matter.
• Links to additional video conversations from the perspective of a youth worker.
• Crisis issue trauma resources.
• Directional guidance.

Example:

Scene: Seeing Skye
We see Clay walking into Skye’s room in the hospital, where she is recovering from self-harm injuries.

Clay – “You ok?”
Skye – “My mom just freaked out. It wasn’t serious.”
Clay – “It was surgery.”
Skye – “It was stiches mostly.”
Clay – “We had a deal.”
Skye – “It was a stupid deal.”
Clay – “You told me cutting doesn’t mean you wanted to die.”
Skye – “I don’t want to die. I told you that, but you don’t understand.”
Clay – “Then help me.”
Skye – “I can’t because I don’t understand it either. It’s like I have all of these feelings and I can’t control them. Like I’m a visitor in my own mind and if I don’t catch my breath I will burn up and blow away. And I know you want to save me from that, but you can’t.”
Clay – “So what can I do?”
Skye – “You figure out your stuff and I’ll figure out mine – apart.”

• Do you believe Skye that it “wasn’t serious”?
• Do you think Clay and Skye’s “deal” was helpful or harmful? Was there anything additional that needed to be included in, or take the place of, that deal?
• What do you think about Skye’s description of what she feels on the inside? Do you think that sometimes a peer may have the heart to help, but not the appropriate levels of skill or resources available to provide the help needed?
• Do you think Skye’s decision to figure out things on their own is a good decision? Why or why not?

The Missing Conversations:
Do you struggle with Cutting or Self-Injury? I want you to know…
How to tell someone I am cutting
How to Point a Friend Towards Help

Video Conversations about self-harm
Shifting Incomplete Stories of Self-Harm Towards Truth

This Resource Includes:
• 13 Individual Episode Guides (4-8 pages each)
Each guide includes:
• Episodic content warnings.
• Episode-based thought-provoking questions to take a deeper look into scene subject matter.
• Links to additional video conversations from the perspective of a youth worker.
• Crisis issue trauma resources.
• Directional guidance.

• Complete Season Two Guide (all 13 individual guides in one document: 72 Pages)