New Zealand: Issued Classification Office decision designating “13 Reasons Why” as objectionable

On 27 April 2017, the New Zealand Classification Office concluded an investigation into the content of the Netflix series "13 Reasons Why", following concerns over its portrayal of sensitive themes such as suicide, sexual violence, and bullying. The series was scrutinized for its potential impact on youth mental health, given the country's high youth suicide rates. The investigation found that suicide is depicted explicitly and graphically in the series and presented fatalistically as a logical consequence of the plot's events rather than as a result of mental illness. The Office determined this a violation of international guidelines for responsible representations of suicide, which led to the decision to classify '13 Reasons Why' as RP18, requiring adult supervision for viewers under 18.