Figures released by the helpline this week show that, on average, the number of young people calling about self-harm has soared by 23 per cent every year from 1994 to 2004. More than 90 per cent of self-harm callers were female.
Pamela Dow, public affairs and campaigns officer at ChildLine, said: "We can't say why there is an increase in calls. It could be that more young people are willing to seek help, but there aren't enough frontline services for them."
This week also saw the Young People and Self-Harm National Inquiry issue its first interim report. The inquiry found most young self-harmers never reach the attention of specialist services or professionals.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
