Has your child attempted self-harm? This is a question no parent wants to answer, and many have no idea how to begin to find the correct answer. In observance of Self-Harm Awareness Month, we recommend getting informed and getting ahead of risk factors and possible causes of self-harm.
Self-harm or self-injury is defined as intentionally hurting oneself, often without a fully formed intention or understanding of why. Self-injury is a mysterious behavior that can happen frequently or erratically and is difficult for parents or loved ones to identify. According to a recent CDC study, 30% of U.S. teen girls have attempted self-harm at least once. Among teenagers of all genders, 15% will attempt self-injury. While self-harm is more prevalent in girls, it affects boys as well – about 10% of boys engaged in some form of self-inflicted injury. Only 4% of adults engage in self-harming acts.
These numbers are surprising to many adults, mainly because self-harm can so often go undetected. It is difficult to believe that a student, niece, neighbor, co-worker, or daughter might be secretly causing themselves physical pain. Part of the disconnect is generational - self-harm, notably cutting, has seen an intense spike in the past 20 years. Cutting is by far the most common form of self-harm, accounting for 70-90% of all cases. Between 2001 and 2015, self-harm rates in young girls increased by 166%. This concerning increase reveals a fundamental shift in young people's mental health experience.
Why Causes Young People to Self-Injure
Self-harming behavior may offer troubled teens a momentary sense of physical relief or a sharp return to physical awareness when their minds go to dark places. Inflicting a cut or burn acts as an outlet for anger, frustration, and other difficult-to-articulate feelings.
Certain factors put teens at an increased risk for self-harm. For all of the parents who are wondering why on earth their child would resort to a razor or a match to express their emotions, it is important to keep in mind that self-harm is a learned behavior. Teens who witness their friends or others engage in a form of self-harm are far more likely to experiment and test their limits. Additional factors that arise from negative life experiences, trauma, or neglect put teens at risk. When a young person is struggling through issues that are difficult to communicate, such as sexual trauma or physical abuse, parental neglect, or social isolation, it can be tempting for teens to drift further into secrecy and engage in damaging habits.
Self-injury is not a mental health disorder in its own right; however, it is linked to various mental health issues. People who injure themselves are more likely to struggle with social skills and have low self-esteem. Borderline personality disorder, depression, eating disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder all put young people at an increased risk for self-injury. Substance abuse can often make a person's impulse to harm themselves worse – when under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they are more likely to harm themselves.
How Can Parents Tell if a Teen is Self-Harming?
Every teen's story is different, and the pain they seek to release is unique. For this reason, and because of the exponential rise in self-harm among young teens, it is important for parents, relatives, educators, and other adults in a teen's life to be conscientious about the risk factors that contribute to self-injury and to keep an eye out for warning signs. Some possible indications that a teen is self-harming include:
- Scars – particularly in clusters or patterns
- Fresh cuts, bite marks, or burns
- A tendency to lie about accidental injuries
- A sudden switch to baggy, long clothing – even in hot weather
- Secretive behavior
- Excessive scratching or picking at scabs
- Keeping or seeking out sharp objects
- Blood stains on clothing, bedding, or towels
As mentioned, cuts are the most common form of self-harm. Head banging or hitting oneself are the next most common, accounting for up to 44% of self-harm instances. Burns are the next most common – flesh burning accounts for up to 35% of self-injuries. The behavior can also show up as scratching, carving words into one's skin, inserting objects under the skin, or using sharp objects to pierce one's skin. Self-injury implements could be obvious – knives, lighters, matches, and cigarettes are frequently associated with self-harm. Cutting and piercing with sewing needles, shaving razors, safety pins, thumbtacks, and staples are less obvious or noticeable. Remember that while most self-harming people will inflict wounds on their arms, legs, and torso, any part of the body might be used. For some people, self-harming is something they try a few times, perhaps experimenting with different forms of injury. For others, it is a long-term behavior with more profound implications.
Preventing and Addressing Self-Harming Behavior
Self-harm might bring a momentary sense of calm or release – however, it is often a cause of long-term shame, guilt, and deepened isolation. Most people who self-harm are not attempting suicide. In some cases, though, more aggressive methods can lead to increasingly severe complications and might increase a person's risk for suicide.
If you suspect that your child or a young person you know might be harming themselves, seek professional help. A pediatrician, licensed therapist, or psychologist can offer a mental health evaluation to help you and your teen understand the underlying causes of self-harming behaviors. Families or caregivers should take steps to understand what self-harm is, why teens do it, and how to prevent further issues in the future. It is very important not to judge or scorn a child who is self-harming. Responding with anger or judgment will only worsen things, and might cause a child to retreat to more secretive behavior. Parents should focus on building trust and creating space for difficult, healthy conversations that can function as a positive emotional outlet and equip teens with sustainable coping skills.
Preventing self-harm requires a balance of navigating risk factors with an open mind and a positive attitude. Teens who are at risk for cutting or other forms of self-harm lack confidence, social support, and the outlets they need to release their overwhelming feelings.
Children and teens who need a community of support can lean on the experts at Maryvale. Our approach to mental health care factors in a person's entire experience – including their social environment, their family, their education, and their capacity to live a healthy life. To learn more about how Maryvale supports children and their families through a variety of mental health challenges, please visit our website.
