Self-Harm: A Young Person’s Perspective

The process Ambassadors from Gloucestershire County Council have worked in partnership with the CYPS Participation Group to put all of this together. We have asked nine young people (including the three already involved in the project) to create videos showing their views and opinions about self harm. Each Young Person has written their answers on a piece of paper and shown them to the camera. The inspiration has been taken from the Amanda Todd video. The questions we have asked Young People include:

1. Can you tell us about a bad or good experience of telling someone about self-harming? 2.Why do you think young people self-harm? 3.What is your opinion about self-harm? 4. How do you think adults and professionals should deal with self-harming? 5. Where would you go to get help if you were self- harming? 6. What would you do if your friend was self-harming? 7. Who would you talk to about self-harming? The Questions

Young people are more likely to tell close friends instead of a professional. Therefore, professionals need to educate and support young people to help a friend if they are self- harming. Key messages

Self-harming is such a taboo it seems like the professionals are too scared to talk about it. There is nothing to be scared of as the young person is likely to be more scared than you are.

Young people feel like they can’t ask for help as their parents would find out or because they would get judged.

Many young people do not know where to go to get help or feel they would not look for help as they would not be able to deal with it.

Listen to the young person. Sometimes they do not want advice, but someone to talk to.

Sometimes professionals jump straight into it instead of taking a step back and finding out what the young person wants instead.

Loneliness is a common reason why young people self-harm. This is why it is important to spend time with the young person you are supporting.

Do not rush young people into telling you what is going on. Also, do not just tell them to stop.

Some young people use self- harming as a coping strategy. However, it has short term benefits with long term consequences. Self harm???

What did you think of some of the messages that were given? How did this video make you feel? Discussion

Have you got any questions you would like to ask us? Questions