Talking Point: Why do young people feel the need to harm themselves?

The number of young people who are self-harming is scary. A recent study by the Centre for Suicide Research at Oxford University revealed that the number of young people being admitted to hospital having self-harmed has increased by 50 per cent in the past five years. It's a dramatic rise, but do young people know enough about self-harming and its causes?

Start a discussion about self-harm. Do young people know what it is? Self-harm is the deliberate act of hurting yourself, and common ways of doing this are cutting, burning or hitting. Ask young people what it felt like the last time they hurt themselves. Now ask them why they think someone might want to hurt themselves deliberately. Talk about how people inflict physical harm on themselves as a way of coping with emotions. Those that self-harm find it quickly reduces their emotional discomfort and they feel relieved. Ask young people what factors might trigger self-harm. Feeling isolated, being bullied and family conflict can all make someone feel trapped and vulnerable to self-harming.