Ask the Experts: Helping teenagers who self-harm

I am working with a young person who has begun to self-harm. I have tried talking to her, but she won’t open up and says all her friends are doing it. What can I do?

Many young people self-harm as a way of expressing deep distress and anxiety, often without understanding the reasons why. They may feel better for doing so, but will repeat until the underlying cause is addressed.

Self-harm can take many forms, including cutting or burning skin, overdosing or becoming dependent on alcohol or drugs. Research by Mind suggests 10 per cent of 15- to 16-year-olds have self-harmed, usually by cutting themselves, with girls likelier to self-harm than boys. The most common reason is “to find relief from a terrible situation”.

Help her to explore why she is doing this, and to find alternative actions that create the same relief without resorting to self harming.

Some people find self-harm support groups helpful. However, when working with young people this needs to be considered carefully. It would probably be useful in the first instance to identify the support and help she needs on an individual basis to help her to deal with her issues.

Answered by Jeanie Lynch, who works for Barnardo’s and has 25 years’ experience of working with vulnerable children and families