13 Reasons Why is a Netflix Original series, adapted from the best-selling young adult fiction title by Jay Asher. Made in the US, the first season debuted in the UK on Netflix in March 2017. The work tracks a school and its local community in the wake of the deaths of two pupils, one of whom took her own life. It focuses particularly on the friends, and in some cases enemies, of one student, Hannah, who before taking her own life recorded a series of cassette tapes designed to highlight people whose actions she felt contributed to her unhappiness and death.
Classification Issues
- Suicide and self-harm
- The portrayal of suicide, including the focus on the character's motivations and the aftermath of her death includes strong bloody detail and strong injury detail. The series also features sight of self-harm, as well as explorations of depression and other mental health issues.
- Additional issues
- The series also contains scenes of drug misuse, depictions of sexual assault, plotlines around the sexualisation of teenagers, especially girls, by other teenagers, bullying, and underage drinking.
Classification history
The series was submitted for classification in 2017. BBFC compliance staff viewed each episode, considering the content in line with the BBFC Classification Guidelines.
The Guidelines aim to reflect public opinion via our regular public consultations, research, and UK law. Our research shows that portrayals of suicide and self-harm are of particular concern to UK audiences. We therefore operate a strict policy when it comes to depictions of these issues. We consider any novel information or techniques; the appeal of the work; the presentation, intensity and treatment of the issues; and any potential legal issues, such as the risk of harm to young or vulnerable viewers.
The BBFC classified most of the episodes with a 15 age rating, which means we do not consider these episodes suitable for viewers under the age of 15. Four episodes, however, received an 18 rating – including the final episode, in which Hannah’s suicide is depicted.
As is often the case with films or series with unusual or borderline issues, the BBFC's Chief Executive, President and two Vice Presidents (then known as the ‘Board of Classification’), viewed the suicide scene. They considered previous cases where the BBFC required compulsory cuts on harm grounds to scenes of suicide, including those which romanticise suicide or suggest particular techniques are easy, pain-free, or particularly effective. The Board of Classification decided that the series could be classified 18, without the need for any cuts to the final episode’s suicide scene.
In a statement to the media the BBFC clarified the seriousness with which potentially harmful or disturbing issues like suicide in films and series are considered, highlighting our work with charities and experts in relevant fields: “The BBFC regularly consults with experts, including Samaritans, to help ensure that our classification policies and decisions in relation to challenging content are aligned with expert advice.”
Several episodes included warning text on-screen noting the sexual assault, suicide, and violence featured in those episodes. Before the first episode, for example, a warning encouraged anyone affected by the content to contact the Samaritans.
A later submission of 13 Reasons Why season 1 was re-edited to include a suicide prevention video at the start of the episodes, along with some warnings.
13 Reasons Why was the most tweeted about TV series of 2017, but its depiction of suicide also prompted controversy and debate.
In July 2019, ahead of the release of the series’ third season, Netflix removed some material from the suicide scene in the final episode of season 1. The streaming service said the scene had been re-edited following advice from experts, and noted they had been contacted by younger audience members saying the series had “encouraged them to start conversations about difficult issues like depression and suicide and get help – often for the first time”.
