One specific scene from the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why focuses on the main character, Hannah, on the last day of her life telling her guidance counselor that she has been through a number of experiences that have caused her to feel numb and empty and even clearly indicated that she didn’t care about her life anymore.

Her guidance counselor listens while muting his cell phone and ignoring numerous interruptive phone calls and ultimately lets her leave his office.

Although Donna King, Student Assistance Counselor, has not seen the series, she talked to the journalism class about the steps that she would take to prevent a student who presented with these red flags from possibly committing suicide.

First, she would involve a representative from the school’s Crisis Intervention team.  She would then notify the student’s parents and have them come to the school to pick up their child and ensure that their child would not be left alone.  The parents, working with the school’s professionals, will ensure that the student seeks help from a medical professional to try to sort out their suicidal thoughts within a 24-hour period.  After this, the school continues to keep a watchful eye on the student.

One other problem that is present in the show is bullying.  One example is when athletes Bryce and Monte consistently beat up students in the school such as the main character Clay, and Tyler, the yearbook photographer. This consistent pattern falls into the category of Harassment Intimidation Bullying (HIB).  WHHS, along with every other public school in New Jersey, has a specific process to deal with these problems.

As soon as the complaint is filed, the school has 10 days to complete an investigation.  King, along with other certified school employees, will get stories from both sides, witnesses, and anyone else who can provide evidence for the investigation.  King will then make a final decision on whether or not the student was bullied and then the case gets sent to the superintendent and is reviewed by the Board of Education where they will make a decision.  This whole process can take several months.  In the mean time, however, the school can take important steps to ensure that the bullying, if it is determined as such, stops.

When asked about the bullying numbers in our school compared to others, King said that “I would say that Wayne Hills is as typical as any other school, unfortunately.”

King emphasized that students should never feel that they have no one to turn to.  There are caring adults here at WHHS to whom students can turn when they are feeling bullied and or depressed.