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Netflix says it will add more trigger warning to its show “13 Reasons Why”, given its graphic depiction of sexual assault and suicide. Maria Mercedes Galuppo (@mariamgaluppo) has more. Buzz60
Katherine Langford as Hannah in "13 Reasons Why." (Photo: Beth Dubber, Netflix)
Netflix's infinitely controversial 13 Reasons Why is billed as a show about teen suicide, but could be viewed as a more persuasive indictment of rape culture. (This story includes show spoilers and potentially triggering descriptions.)
The series — which explores the 13 reasons why its justice-seeking protagonist Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford) decided to end her life — is wildly popular among the young adult audience it courts, though it has sparked a ferocious debate among critics, parents, educators and mental health professionals about its graphic depiction of suicide. Defenders laud the show for its unflinching portrayal of fraught adolescence, while detractors argue it glamorizes suicide, ignores mental illness and perverts the reality of what happens after death.
The issue the show tackles most convincingly is sexual violence — its persistence in our schools, its dark evolution through social media and the trouble with our perception of consent. The show demonstrates how toxic masculinity feeds into rape culture — minimizing sexual violence, excusing perpetrators and blaming victims.
I think instead of just focusing on how to be nice to people we should really look at what society's rape culture is like. #13ReasonsWhy
— Molly Southall (@MollySouthall) April 19, 2017
Over the course of 13 episodes, Hannah is brutalized relentlessly: she is sexually objectified in a class poll, sexually harassed in school and on social media, sexually assaulted in public, stalked outside her home and raped at a house party. Perpetrators dehumanize her, friends dismiss her, the high school counselor fails her, and the wider student body stands idly by, complicit in her degradation.
"The reality is that if a girl hasn't experienced it herself, she's known somebody who has," said Lisa Maatz, vice president of government relations at the American Association of University Women (AAUW), which does tracking on sexual harassment and violence in K-12 schools and on college campuses. "It is part of their daily lives, part of their reality. And the scary thing is that it's not just part of their reality in college, it's part of their reality in high school, it's part of their reality in middle school and, quite frankly, it's sometimes part of their reality in elementary school."
Here's what happened in 13 Reasons Why, along with the statistics that show this isn't just Hannah's problem:
1. Sexual harassment in middle school and high school is pervasive
13 Reasons Why: In the first episode, Hannah has a late-night rendezvous at a nearby park with Justin Foley (Brandon Flynn), her high school crush. It's tame. She goes down a slide, he snaps a picture, they share a kiss. But the next day, we see Justin flaunting the photo to an all-male crew. The shot of Hannah he took is directly up her skirt, giving an innocent moment illicit pretense. Justin's friends eagerly share the deceptive shot with the rest of the school, which is enough for Liberty High to brand Hannah the class slut, making her the target of rampant sexual harassment in its halls.
Real life: A 2011 report by the AAUW found that nearly half of middle and high school students surveyed experienced some form of sexual harassment — unwanted sexual behavior that includes verbal or written comments, gestures, displaying pictures or images, or physical coercion — in the 2010–11 school year. Most (87%) of those students said it had a negative effect on them. Sexual harassment by text, e-mail, Facebook, or other electronic means affected nearly one-third of students.
i don't know whats more disgusting the toxic masculinity, male entitlement, and rape culture shown in 13 reasons why or how realistic it is
— Evvi (@OfficialEvvi) May 1, 2017
2. 'Hot or Not' is not harmless
13 Reasons Why: Hannah and her friend Jessica Davis (Alisha Boe) become victims of an insufferable high school tradition when male classmates circulate a "hot or not" list that votes Hannah "Best Ass" and Jessica "Worst Ass."
Real life: Research from the University of Kent shows there is a direct relation between the sexual objectification of girls and aggression towards them, and that the objectification-aggression link can start as early as the teenage years.
3. The pathway from bullying to sexual harassment to sexual violence
13 Reasons Why: While shopping at a local convenience store, Hannah is groped by popular jock Bryce Walker (Justin Prentice). She is groped again by Marcus Cole (Steven Silver), a member of the school's honor board, while on a date. Both boys were part of the crew that shared Justin's photo and helped craft the infamous "hot or not" list.
Real life: The CDC has documented a Bully-Sexual Violence Pathway, showing that as early as middle school, a pathway forms along which bullies transform into sexual harassers and age into perpetrators of sexual violence.
4. Stalking strikes fear into victims
13 Reasons Why: Hannah learns she's being stalked by someone taking pictures of her outside her bedroom window. Courtney Crimsen (Michele Selene Ang), the school's overachieving "nice" girl, offers to help Hannah uncover the identity of her stalker. The two hatch a plan and hunker down in Hannah's bedroom to execute it. While waiting, Courtney (who is gay but not out) dares Hannah to kiss her during a game of truth or dare. Hannah does, and while their lips lock the stalker shows up with his camera. Courtney and Hannah discover it's yearbook photographer Tyler Down (Devin Druid). When Hannah confronts Tyler, he agrees to delete the photos he took of her. But when he asks if she wants to "hang out," she incredulously laughs him off, and in retaliation he shares a photo of Hannah and Courtney kissing, though the picture is blurred enough that the girls' identities are in question.
Real life: “Stalking is a pattern of repeated and unwanted attention, harassment, contact, or any other course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear,” according to the Department of Justice. In the United States, the CDC reports an estimated 15.2% of women have experienced stalking during their lifetimes that made them feel very fearful or made them believe that they or someone close to them would be harmed or killed.
5. Spreading sexual rumors is sexual harassment, too
13 Reasons Why: Worried that her fellow classmates will identify her in the photo and discover she's gay, Courtney spreads a sexual rumor about Hannah to deflect attention from herself.
Real life: According to the National Women's Law Center, spreading rumors about a person's sexual behavior is considered sexual harassment under Title IX, a federal law that prohibits discrimination based on sex in schools.
6. Most people are not raped by a stranger
13 Reasons Why: Hannah and Jessica are both separately raped by Bryce.
Real life: According to RAINN, seven out of 10 rapes are committed by someone the victim knows. Sexual assaults of those under age 18 are committed by someone the victim knows 93% of the time.
Alisha Boe as Jessica in "13 Reasons Why." (Photo: Ron Koeberer/Netflix, Ron Koeberer/Netflix)
7. Bystander intervention is critical to stopping sexual assault
13 Reasons Why: Hannah witnesses Jessica's rape, but does not intervene. She hides in a closet, terrified.
Real life: The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) says that "people in a bystander role often describe feeling scared, alone, and afraid to say or do something in the face of violence." But the center's evidence shows bystanders can have a powerful impact on sexual violence prevention.
8. When silence still means 'no'
13 Reasons Why: When Hannah is raped by Bryce, she doesn't say "no," but there is no ambiguity about what happened. She doesn't object with words, but with her body. She tries to leave the hot tub before the assault. She physically resists. When Jessica is raped by Bryce, she is under the influence of alcohol and practically unconscious, unable to give consent and incapable of objecting.
Real life: If a person doesn't say, "no," that doesn't mean they're saying "yes." Consent means that two people agree to sexual activity. New data from the NSVRC found that 16% of people don't understand that sex without consent is rape. It also found that men and young adults show the lowest levels of awareness about what constitutes sexual violence.
9. Rape remains the most under-reported crime
13 Reasons Why: Neither Hannah nor Jessica reported their rapes to the police.
Real life: According to the NSVRC, 63% of sexual assaults go unreported; 0.6% of rapists are incarcerated, RAINN reports.
10. Sexual assault takes a profound toll on its victims
13 Reasons Why: After being raped, Jessica begins abusing alcohol.
Real life: According to the NSVRC, 81% of women report significant short-term or long-term impacts such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which increases the risk of alcohol abuse. Victims of sexual assault are 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol.
Rape costs survivors stress, trust, sleep and about $122,000
11. Perpetrators of sexual assault are experts at rationalizing their behavior
13 Reasons Why: When Hannah's friend Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette), confronts Bryce about raping Hannah, first Bryce denies the rape, then he minimizes it, saying, "girls play games," and "she never said no."
Real life: Research shows that a perpetrator's "exaggerated sense of self-importance my facilitate their ability to rationalize their behavior."
12. Rape is often a silent epidemic
13 Reasons Why: Hannah does not discuss her rape with her parents or peers, but she does start to open up to a school counselor, who tells her that if she won't identify her attacker, she should "move on."
Real life: Among students who were sexually harassed in AAUW's 2011 study, only about 9% reported the incident to a teacher, guidance counselor or other adult at school, while just one-quarter of them said they talked about it with parents or family members (including siblings). Only about one-quarter spoke with friends.
13. Rape can have deadly consequences
13 Reasons Why: In the show's final episode, Hannah commits suicide.
Real life: According to the CDC, the likelihood of suicidal thoughts increases after sexual violence. Rape victims are 4.1 times more likely to have contemplated suicide and they are 13 times more likely to have attempted suicide.
So what do we do about it?
The AAUW has a number of recommendations to help prevent sexual harassment in schools. It stresses that students, parents and educators understand rights and responsibilities under Title IX, a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in education. Parents and students should also have a copy of their school's sexual harassment policy.
If you're a student being harassed, tell an adult. If they don't listen, find another adult. Be persistent until you are taken seriously and given the support you need. The AAUW says the school is required by law to listen to you and take action.
If a friend tells you they've been sexually assaulted or abused, be supportive, avoid judgement and encourage them to get help. More on how to respond.
Supporting survivors of sexual #assault: Being a warm, compassionate human being is 99% of what’s helpful. https://t.co/ycnaXAeKnw@annieisipic.twitter.com/n2JXQafENr
— Seth J. Gillihan (@sethgillihan) April 6, 2017
If you're a bystander who sees someone being sexually harassed or assaulted, try to interrupt and stop it. Tell an adult. We are all responsible for preventing sexual assault.
If you want to make a difference, get involved in preventing sexual violence in your school. Work with a student group. If one doesn't exist, form one.
If you're a parent, model appropriate behavior (don't laugh at sexist jokes, don't reinforce gender stereotypes) and encourage your children to discuss their lives with you. Talk about what healthy sex and healthy dating looks like.
Schools should have a clear sexual harassment policy. They should also have an accessible list of resources for students who may be experiencing sexual harassment.
If you're an educator or counselor, make yourself approachable. Build trust. Support and validate students’ feelings when they do come to you.
Make sure kids learn early how to treat one another. According to Maatz, prevention is key: "We advocate for prevention activities in terms of bullying and harassment to start early. You've got to set the standards for appropriate behavior, and that's a much better strategy than reacting after something horrible has happened."
The cutting storyline in '13 Reasons Why' is scary but true
The National Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24/7: 800-656-HOPE (4673) or via online chat: online.rainn.org
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