Title:

Self-Harming and Suicide

Publish Date:

September 2010

ISBN:

978 1 86168 556 8

Covering Ages:

16 to 18 years

Issue Description

The number of young people who use self-harm as a coping strategy is worrying: more than 24,000 teenagers are admitted to hospital in the UK
each year after deliberately hurting themselves. And while self-harm is not usually an attempt to commit suicide, many of those who do choose to end their lives have previously self-harmed. This book looks at the prevalence of self-harm and suicide, the misconceptions surrounding them and at what can be done to tackle them.

The information comes from a wide range of sources and includes government reports and statistics, newspaper articles, features, magazine articles and surveys, literature from lobby groups and charitable organisations.

Price:

£7.95

Quantity:

Key Facts

• About one in ten young people will self-harm at some point, but it can occur at any age. It is more common in young women than men. Gay and bisexual people seem to be more likely to self-harm. (page 1)
  
  
• 43% of respondents in one survey on self-harm reported self-hate being a motive. 45% reported harming in order to punish themselves. One in four participants reported feeling guilty, ashamed or embarrassed after an episode of self-harm. (page 10)
  
  
• Most self-harm is hidden from others and motivated by private therapeutic needs rather than performed to achieve social or manipulative ends. (page 12)
  
  
• Each year, around 25,000 admissions to hospitals in England and Wales are made by young people who have self-harmed. (page 14)
  
  
• Self-harm is much more common than suicide. There are at least 140,000 attempted suicides each year in England and Wales. (page 20)
  
  
• Men account for three-quarters of all suicides in the UK. Generally, men are more reluctant than women to talk about their feelings and to see their GP with psychological problems. (page 21)
  
  
• Attempted suicide is much higher amongst the unemployed than amongst people who are in work. This is also true of homeless people. Young gay men and lesbians are particularly at risk too, possibly because of the discrimination they face in our society. (page 24)
  
  
• A conservative estimate is that there are 24,000 cases of attempted suicide by adolescents (10-19 years) each year in England and Wales, which is one attempt every 20 minutes. (page 31)
  
  
• 29% of people in the UK know someone who has taken their own life. (page 35)
  
  
• Assisted suicide remains a criminal offence in England and Wales, punishable by up to 14 years in prison, but individual decisions on prosecution are made depending on the circumstances in each case. (page 37)

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Self-Harm

Self-harm, The truth about self-harm, Coping tips and distractions, Selina’s story: ‘I wanted to punish myself for being such a failure’, Understanding self-harm, What happens at A&E?, Self-harm in women’s prisons, New report highlights self-harm needs to be taken more seriously, Self-harm makes its mark on pre-teens, NHS services ‘failing to support people who self-harm’, Websites told to remove material promoting self-harm.

Chapter 2 Suicide

Suicide, How to help someone who is suicidal, Suicide in Scotland: key points, Suicide myths, Suicide: young men at risk, Warning signs of suicidal behaviour, Understanding and preventing suicide in young people, Childhood adversities are ‘powerful predictors’ of suicide, Suicide and the media, Copycat suicides and media reporting, DPP releases assisted suicide guidelines, Assisted suicide: the law, Disabled people need help to live, not die.

Key Facts

Glossary

Index

Additional Resources

Acknowledgements

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The Study Guide for: Self-Harming and Suicide - Volume 199

Each book in the Issues series has a study guide. These four-page guides provide a variety of discussion points and other activities to suit a wide range of ability levels and interests.

Publisher: Independence Educational Publishers
Price: £1.95
ISBN: ISBN: 978 1 86168 556 8

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