Healthy Schools: self-harm
Use these resources to help you support children and young people who you know or suspect are at risk of self-harming.
Find all Healthy Schools resources here
Self-harm should be taken seriously by educators as it is often the symptom of other underlying issues or emotional distress.
If your student decides to confide in you or if you think someone is at immediate risk, find help from the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families:
Understanding self harm
- To better understand what self-harm is and its possible causes, check this 2-page leaflet from Harmless:
What is Self-Harm (PDF, 386KB) - Maybe you know what self-harm is but not quite what it's not? This 1-page myth-buster from Chums should help:
Self-Harm-Myths - Chums 20.11.15 (PDF, 2MB) - This 1-page resource contains information on the most common warning signs that show a student might be self-harming:
Warning-Signs - Self-Harm (PDF, 128KB)
Action plan
- Knowing what to say to a student who comes forward about self-harm can create a lot of pressure. This Anna Freud Centre resource shows what a helpful adult response might look like:
Helpful Adult Response - Self-Harm (PDF, 189KB) - What are the next steps following the first conversation with a young person? Check this resource:
Next Steps - Following 1st Conversation - Self-Harm (PDF, 147KB) - The 2-minute video from YoungMinds (external link) offers tips on how to respond to self-harm.:
Whole School Approach - Self-Harm (PDF, 173KB) - Download the full ‘No Harm Done’ pack for professionals from YoungMinds:
No-Harm-Done Professionals Pack - Full Document (PDF, 16MB)
For young people
- This 3-minute video from YoungMinds features the testimonies of young people about self-harm:
Note for iPhone users and Youtube. There is a known bug with iOS and Youtube, Two buttons are read before the player but provide no functionality. We advise that you skip these to access the content.
- For general information about what self-harm is, feel free to share these 2 resources from Harmless:
Young People - Self-Harm (PDF, 604KB)
No-Harm-Done - Young People's Pack (PDF, 2MB) - This 1-page document provides userful alternative coping strategies on learning how to manage self-harm:
Managing Self-Harm (PDF, 111KB) - Information about recovery and strategies to cope:
Self-Harm-Recovery - General Information Strategies (PDF, 1MB) - If a young person is not ready to talk about their self-harm, this 1-page resource could help you to create a plan of action:
When a YP Isn't Ready To Talk Self-Harm (PDF, 146KB)
For families
- You can recommend many of the resources featured here to families. For parent- and carer-specific content, share this this pack:
No-Harm-Done Parents Pack (PDF, 12MB) - You can also share this 3-minute video:
Note for iPhone users and Youtube. There is a known bug with iOS and Youtube, Two buttons are read before the player but provide no functionality. We advise that you skip these to access the content.
Both were created by YoungMinds for the No Harm Done campaign. - YoungMinds has also created information on specifically about self-harm and young men (external link).