Learn about self-harm

How to spot the signs of self-harm

There are two types of self-harm: physical and emotional, and young people will go to great lengths to hide them or explain them away.

The signs to look for with physical self-harm are cuts, bruises, burns and bald patches from hair pulling. Young people are likely to cover themselves up in long-sleeved clothes and hats to hide the signs.

The signs of emotional self-harm are a lot more difficult to spot – and it shouldn’t be assumed that a young person is self-harming purely on this basis. If you spot these in addition to the physical signs there may be cause for concern. The emotional signs include: depression, tearfulness and low motivation, unusual eating habits, sudden weight loss or gain, low self-esteem and drinking or taking drugs.

Self-harm can start at a very young age, i.e. seven years old or more commonly between the ages of 12 and 15 years old.

Experts say self-harm behaviour normally end within five years of starting, however, for some, it can last into adulthood.