Young People Who Self-Harm: A Guide For School Staff

The Young People Who Self Harm Guide (2016) was developed by researchers and clinicians at the University of Oxford for school staff who have contact with students who have self-harmed or are at risk of self-harm.

In it you will find information about self-harm and its impact, and some practical ways to help you support young people:

Finding out about a young person’s self-harm can be difficult and upsetting. However, school staff have a very important role in helping young people who are self-harming. This resource has been developed by researchers and clinicians at the University of Oxford for school staff who may come into contact with students who have self-harmed or are at risk of self-harm. Here you will find information about self-harm and its impact, and some practical ways to help you support young people.

This guide should be used alongside existing school safeguarding policies. When in doubt about how to respond to a student’s self-harm it is best to seek advice, including from mental health professionals where necessary.

Building a positive school culture which encourages resilience and promotes help-seeking is the most important thing schools can do in relation to enhancing mental wellbeing.

While the main focus of this guide is on adolescents it is recognised that younger children may present with self-harm, although it is much less frequent under the age of 12.

Key information covered in the resource: 

•  What is self-harm?
• Finding out about self-harm
• How to approach the young person
• Which young people are vulnerable to self-harm?
• Why do young people self-harm?
• Helpful questions and statements
• Managing the immediate effects of self-harm
• Confidentiality and communicating with parents
• Understanding the circumstances of self-harm and what level of concern there should be
• What to do if you have higher concern
• What to do if there is a lower concern about ongoing risk
• Self-harm at school: what to do? 
• Possible strategies to manage urges to self-harm
• Impact of self-harm on school staff
• Contagion and peer groups
• A list of other useful resources