Jay Asher’s “Thirteen Reasons Why” Sexual Abuse Phenomenon

Abstract

This study aims to examine the types of sexual abuse that the protagonist of the book "Thirteen Reasons Why" encounters, as well as how the psychological effects of the abuse affect the protagonist. In examining the different types of sexual abuse and their effects in the book, the researcher combined a psychoanalytical approach with descriptive and analysis methods to determine how the abuse might alter the psychological state of the characters. For the purpose of actively gathering secondary data to improve the comprehension of this research, library research, internet-based research, and book reading strategies were used. According to the study's findings, there are three different types of sexual abuse that take place in the book "Thirteen Reasons Why": verbal abuse (such as slander and negative labeling) and non-verbal abuse (such as peeping toms) as well as physical abuse (such as touching and coerced sex penetration). The character also experiences extreme shifts, unjustified feelings, overwhelming emotions, and suicidal thoughts as psychological effects.