Is 13 Reasons Why appropriate for children?

# 13 Reasons Why - Parental Guide This TV-MA drama follows tapes left behind after a teenager's suicide, exploring the events leading up to her death. The show contains strong language and violence, moderate sexual content, and deals with mature themes including suicide, assault, and self-harm. It's not recommended for children and is best for mature teens with parental discussion.

What age is 13 Reasons Why suitable for?

Our verdict for 13 Reasons Why is: Not recommended. See the age grid on this page for specific recommendations by age group.

Is 13 Reasons Why safe for children? | ScreenWise Parent Guide

Content breakdown

🔫

Violence

Strong

🗣️

Language / Profanity

Strong

🔞

Sexual Content

Moderate

👻

Horror / Scary

Moderate

About this TV show

Type

TV Show

Released

2017

Rating

TV-MA

Genre

Drama, Mystery

Synopsis

After a teenage girl's perplexing suicide, a classmate receives a series of tapes that unravel the mystery of her tragic choice.

Cast

Dylan Minnette

Clay Jensen

Grace Saif

Ani Achola

Christian Navarro

Tony Padilla

Alisha Boe

Jessica Davis

Full cast on IMDb ›

Stimulus level

Very low stimulus

This show is not appropriate for infants and toddlers — it contains graphic content including suicide, sexual assault, and violence, and is rated for mature audiences only.

Stimulus rating reflects pacing, visual complexity, and sensory intensity — factors associated with attention development in children under 3. Learn more

Age suitability

Under 6

Not yet

Ages 6–8

Not recommended

Ages 9–12

Not recommended

Ages 13+

Not recommended

Where to watch

🎬 Find on Amazon

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Parents also checked

Ratings based on MPAA/TV classification and TMDB metadata. Updated March 2026.
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