Thirteen Reasons Why Clay's Next Steps

Thirteen Reasons Why concludes with a suggestion that Clay will work to end the cycle of selfishness and misunderstanding that led to Hannah’s suicide. As Hannah’s tapes reveal, however, this is not a simple task. There were a number of factors that went into her decision. Some of these were small, relatively harmless incidents, but others were violations of decency and the law.

Discussing what Clay should do now that he has heard the tapes is one way to facilitate discussions about suicide prevention, anti-bullying measures, and reporting abuse. Use storyboards to spark a discussion. Ask each student to depict one or more ways that Clay can use the information from the tapes to improve the lives of those around him and attempt to prevent further tragedy. The storyboard above provides an example.

Thirteen Reasons Why Solution Square

What should Clay do next?

Clay needs to tell an adult at least some of what he heard. Hannah's tapes revealed a number of people (like Bryce and Tyler) who had harmed others and might continue to do so if they are not stopped.