Self-harm: information and suggestions for school staff
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Risk factors for self-harm behaviour
Any of the following risk factors may make a young person vulnerable to self-harm:
Individual factors
- low mood/anxiety
- an existing psychological or developmental difficulty (e.g. Asperger syndrome, learning difficulty)
- difficulty communicating
- low self-esteem
- poor problem-solving skills
- hopelessness
- impulsivity
- drug or alcohol abuse
- confusion about sexuality or feeling different/unaccepted (e.g. if gay, lesbian or bisexual).
Family factors
- unreasonable expectations
- religious/ethnicity/cultural identity dilemmas or conflict
- young carers’ role within the family
- domestic violence
- neglect or abuse (physical, sexual or emotional)
- poor parental relationships and arguments
- depression, deliberate self-harm or suicide in the family.
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