Young people might use the internet to cope with difficult feelings and engage in peer support when they find it challenging to connect with other people in real life.
Self-harm or suicide content can be distressing for anyone who comes across it. While the internet can help young people seek support in challenging times, it is not always helpful to access self-harm or suicide content.
What is self-harm and suicide content?
- It may depict real photos of cuts, wounds, bruises, or burns.
- In some cases, there may be blood, cuts, open wounds, or visible stitches.
- Content may promote, positively describe, or idealise suicide or self-harm.
- Discussions of cases of suicide or self-harm which may have a focus on methods, areas to harm, or tools that can cause injury or death.
- Quotes, stories, videos, or images discussing these issues.
What is Self-Harm?
- Self-harm is an attempt to cope with and control intense, challenging, and distressing feelings or thought patterns.
- Research suggests that 1 in 4 young women and 1 in 10 young men have self-harmed at some point in their life
- It includes any activity that intentionally injures the body, such as cutting, burning, picking, high risk sexual or drug use behaviours, and excessive exercise or eating patterns.
- Self-harm can be a distressing topic for parents, carers, and safeguarding professionals to think about. It is worth being clear that self-harm behaviours are less about ‘seeking attention’ and more of a ‘cry for help’.
- Most self-harm will happen in secret and usually comes with feelings of guilt and shame.
- Motivations are complex, but young people report feeling a release or punishing themselves.
- This release is only temporary, and when difficult feelings appear again, so too can the urge to engage in self-harm behaviours. This can cause a problematic cycle of high-risk behaviours to try and manage feelings.
What is peer support?
Peer support is when young people living with a mental health condition or other complex needs and difficulties support each other with advice, empathy, and a listening ear. It can be a vital lifeline for many young people and can help them build independence, resilience, and healthier coping mechanisms.
Young people may use message boards, habit tracking apps, and social media to share information about their mental health.
The Importance of Appropriate Support
- There can be real benefits in peer support from sharing coping skills, resilience tips, and distraction techniques.
- These interactions may create a feeling of solidarity and validation, but could also be triggering for a young person, especially when they compare their progress or emotional state to others.
- In some cases, young people may also share methods or tools for self-harm behaviours.
- Young people may also feel vulnerable and exposed after sharing intensely personal feelings and thoughts. They may be left feeling unsupported if they do not receive positive feedback or assistance, which could discourage them from seeking help.
- They may develop unhealthy habits of ruminating on complicated feelings or experiences, which may be counterproductive in their attempts to cope and seek support.
- It is essential to recognise that there is no way to establish the quality of information or advice they receive.
Practical Tips
- If a child or young person uses technology to cope with how they feel, this should not be discouraged. However, it is important to ensure they are using the right technology. Check they are using a trusted site to interact with other young people safely.
- If a young person is seeking help online, they should be encouraged to take regular breaks and to understand how ruminating or being overexposed to negative posts may not be helpful.
- Check that the young people in your care can name the trusted adults in their lives – who they would speak to if they needed support.
- If a young person has existing mental health support, they should be encouraged to talk about the use of technology as a coping mechanism for self-harm behaviours – this should also be factored into any risk assessment and support plan.
- Young people should be reminded about the confidential Childline website and the services they provide (internet chat, email, phone, or message boards).