The Netflix series "13 Reasons Why" is a huge hit with millions of teenagers across the country. But some parents don't even know the series exists.
This week the Shawnee Mission School District (SMSD) emailed a letter to parents in the district, encouraging them to watch the series with their teenage children and begin the conversation about suicide.
The Netflix series is based on the bestseller book with the same name. It's the story of a girl named Hannah who commits suicide and leaves cassette tapes explaining 13 reasons why she took her own life. Some parents worry that it glamorizes suicide, but Jane Sosland, Ph.D., a Clinical Associate Psychologist with the University of Kansas Health System, calls the series the start of an important conversation.
"It's a scary topic and it needs to be discussed, but there also needs to be some background discussion about mental health, ways to get hep, ways to counter the effects of bullying," Sosland said.
Shawnee Mission Schools sent an email home last week encouraging parents to ask their children how they are doing, if they're having problems, and if they have ever thought of taking their own life.
"Raising the question of suicide does not cause suicide; it opens that communication and that's the really important thing to have," said Sosland.
RELATED | Netflix's '13 Reasons Why' gets KC parents and kids talking about teen suicide
The letter to parents also offers information about where teens can turn if they're in a crisis and considering suicide. It encourages parents to listen to their teenage children and don't judge.
Read the full email sent to parents below:
