Self-harm

What is self-harm?

Self-harm describes a wide range of things that people do to themselves in a deliberate and usually hidden way (cutting, burning, scalding, scratching one's own body, breaking bones, hair pulling, ingesting toxic substances or objects).

Why do young people self-harm?

Young people who self-harm mainly do so because they have no other way of coping with problems and emotional distress in their lives. However, this is not a good way of dealing with such problems, as it only provides a temporary relief and does not deal with the underlying issue.

Some statistics

Self-harm is a very common problem, and many people are struggling to deal with it. Research shows that 1 in 15 young people in Britain have harmed themselves. Most young people who harm themselves are aged between 11 and 25. The age at which most people start is 12.

There are lots of internet resources providing help for those who are self harming or whose children or friends are self harming:

www.siari.co.uk
www.youthnet.org
www.lifesigns.org.uk
www.selfharm.org.uk

(Source: Camelot Foundation brochure)