Research into self harm

There are vulnerable groups such as:

• Girls and young women
• Young people aged between 15 and 25 years-old;
• People who live in residential care or secure institutions;
• Gay, bisexual, transgender men and women;
• People who are dependent on alcohol or street drugs.

What causes self harm:

• Low self-esteem;
• Poor body image;
• Bullying or discrimination;
• Unwanted pregnancy;
• A serious illness that affects the way you feel about yourself;
• Worries over sexuality;
• Cultural/racial difficulties;
• Feelings of rejection, lack of love and affection by parents or carers;
• Parents getting divorced/family breakdown and conflict;
• Physical, sexual or emotional abuse;
• Domestic violence;
• A bereavement;
• Work pressures;
• Money worries;
• Depression;
• The self-harm or suicide of someone close to you;
• Isolation and loneliness;
• Anxiety;
• Drug and alcohol misuse;
• Relationship problems.

Purpose of self-harm
Some people harm themselves because they don't know how else to cope with pressures from family, school and peer groups. Extreme feelings such as fear, anger, guilt, shame, helplessness, self-hatred, unhappiness, depression or despair can build up over time. When these feelings become unbearable, self-harm can be a way of dealing with them.
Reasons young people have given for their self-harm include:

When the level of emotional pressure becomes too high it acts as a safety valve - a way of relieving the tension;

• Cutting makes the blood take away the bad feelings;
• Pain can make you feel more alive when feeling numb or dead inside;
• Punishing oneself in response to feelings of shame or guilt;
• When it's too difficult to talk to anyone, it's a form of communication about unhappiness and a way of acknowledging the need for help;
• Self-harm gives a sense of control that's missing elsewhere in life.

Some people self-harm with the intention of ending their life or they may be unsure about whether they want to survive, for example, taking an overdose and leaving it to fate to decide the outcome.