Resources: Quick guide to ... dealing with self-harm

1. Cutting is probably the most talked-about form of deliberate self-harm. Less common methods include swallowing objects, putting objects inside the body, burning, hanging, stabbing, shooting and jumping from heights or in front of vehicles. Self-poisoning forms another category - with young people taking large quantities of medicines or toxic substances.

2. Why do young people self-harm? The National Children's Bureau's self-harm web site gives a list with possible triggers such as difficult or painful experiences or relationships. They include bullying or discrimination, bereavement, neglect by parents or carers, or physical or sexual abuse.

Other young people may start to self-harm as a way of dealing with the problems and pressures of everyday life. In other words, there is no simple answer, and to understand an individual you need to know a lot about them, their experiences and their feelings.