Self-Harm Is Primarily A Result of Bullying Says Online Market Research: Research in to why young people begin self-harming has revealed that self-harm is primarily a result of bullying. The findings, based on an online survey carried out by Childline, Self-harm.co.uk, Youth Net and Young Minds, include details of responses from around 4,000 respondents under the age of 25 who have self-harmed. The results also show that most youngsters self-harming were feeling alone at the time.

The survey findings show that the most common reasons for self-harming were bullying (25%), familial relationships (17%), pressure to achieve well at school (14%), emotional abuse (11%) and friendships (11%).

Self-Harm Is Primarily A Result of Bullying Says Online Market Research

There has been a rise in the number of charities which exist to support people who are self-harming, and this has sparked debate as to whether the number of people carrying out the act is rising, or whether there is simply more awareness of the issue among the general public.

Dr Alys Cole-King, from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, supports the former interpretation – that the problem is genuinely on the rise among young people. Dr Cole-King stated that research has shown that self-harming – and self-cutting in particular – is on the rise, creating a ‘contagion effect’ to at least some degree.

Among the research supporting this are findings from the NHS in England, which show that one in ten (11%) more young people were admitted to hospital following self-harm in 2012 than were in the previous year. Still, Professor Nav Kapur, from The University of Manchester, is keen to emphasise that this trend is not an ‘epidemic’. In fact, he stated that the long-term trends were actually going down, and suggested that in the increase in recent years of rates of self-harm among young men, may perhaps be a result of the tough economic climate.

Although other parts of the developed world are also experiencing similar issues, in the UK black and Asian girls in their teens are more likely to self-harm than in other countries. Experts have suggested that this is a result of a cultural reluctance to discuss problems or issues they may be experiencing.

Charities such as those listed above offer counselling and support to young people who are self-harming or who are at risk of self-harming, and when the correct support is provided, the majority of people dealing with the problem are able to work through the underlying issues of which self-harm is often a symptom.

“In the UK black and Asian girls in their teens are more likely to self-harm than in other countries…”

Inappropriate care, however, can have long-lasting implications for individuals, with some studies suggesting that those who are taken in to hospital as a result of self-harm are up to 100 times more likely to commit suicide than the wider population.

If you or someone you know has been affected by the issues raised in this article, you can find contact details and web links for the above named organisations below.