Self-harm among young people is on the rise, with potentially devastating consequences. Karen Sullivan looks at the statistics and suggests what role schools can play to tackle this danger

There can be few acts perpetrated by adolescents (or, indeed, anyone else) that are as distressing as self-harm, and yet, fed by an increasing sense of isolation and desperation and the wealth of inflammatory material on the internet (leading, of course, to it seeming almost “trendy”), it is becoming a serious, growing problem that shows no signs of abating.

It’s one of the top five causes of hospital admissions in the UK, and it is also associated with depression, sleep problems, psychological distress and suicidal risk, according to a number of studies (including Burton, 2014 & Kidger et al, 2012).

One recent study, Self-harm in Adolescence: Protective health assets in the family, school and community (Klemera et al, 2016) suggests that self-harm becomes increasingly common between 12 and 15 years of age, with more girls than boys at risk.

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