What is self-harm?

Self-harm is an intentional act of harming oneself in order to release inner turmoil and is defined as 'self-poisoning' or self-injury, irrespective of the apparent purpose of the act.'¹

Self-harm includes:

1. Self-injury which is when somebody purposefully injures their own body;
2. Self-poisoning can include taking more than the recommended dosage of a medicine, purposefully taking a large amount of illegal drugs, or swallowing poisonous substances or objects

Self-harm facts:

• Self-harm is an expression of severe emotional distress. It can stir up a lot of feelings and create a great deal of anxiety
• It is sometimes secretive and it is likely that many parents or guardians will be unaware that there is a problem
• Self-harm does happen in the adult population, women are more likely to self-harm than men, but self-harm is most prevalent in CYP

¹ Source Self-harm in over 8s: Short-term management and prevention of Recurrence. Clinical guideline. Published: 28 July 2004 nice.org.uk/guidance/cg16.

Throughout this resource there are video clips from two young people who have self-harmed. Watch the videos to learn about their experiences.