Page 5 - Guidance for Schools, Colleges, and Youth Services :: Portus

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Understanding Self-harm What is Self-harm?
Some children and young people self-harm to cope Self-harm is a behaviour that is done to deliberately
with difficult and distressing feelings. This may be harm oneself. Although some people who self-harm
through hurting themselves in some way or by may experience suicidal thoughts, self-harm is more
putting themselves in risky situations. commonly used as a way of managing difficult
emotions It does this by helping to regulate intense
Sometimes this can be simply experimenting in risk feelings.
taking behaviours in the same way as experimenting
with drugs and alcohol and may not always be a sign Self-harm can include:
of difficult or distressing feelings.
• Self-cutting
It is not usually about ending their life but often a • Hitting, bruising, and scratching
way of trying to manage overwhelming feelings.
Sometimes young people feel unsure whether they • Intentionally taking too much or too little
want to die or not. They may talk about suicide when medication
in reality they just want to stop feeling the way they • Burning
do or escape the situation they’re in.
• Suffocating
Some children and young people do have suicidal
thoughts and feelings and sometimes they harm • Going without food or binge-eating
themselves in ways that are very dangerous, and it is • Putting yourself in risky or dangerous situations
possible that they could accidentally kill themselves.
• Getting into a fight you know you can’t win
? Why do people self-harm?
• Drinking alcohol to the point that you lose
consciousness

Self-harm can fulfil several different functions:
• to manage extreme emotional upset

• to reduce tension
• to provide a feeling of physical pain to distract
from emotional pain
• to express emotions such as hurt, anger or
frustration
• a form of escape
• an effort to regain control over feelings or
problems
• an attempt to punish themselves
• to express their emotional pain so they will be
taken seriously and get help

• to identify with a peer group

Portus - A Safe Space - Guidance on Self-harm and Suicide Prevention for Schools, Colleges and Youth Services.
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