Fourth Edition, September 2011

Signs of Possible Self-Harm
Self-injury is often kept secret, making it diffi
cult to detect. The young person often feels so 
ashamed, guilty, or bad that they can’t face talking about it. 

Refusal to wear short sleeves or to remove clothing for sports

Numerous unexplained scars, burns, or cuts

May voice concerns that others do not listen and that they feel patronized
Risk Factors Include:

Eating disorders

Physical, emotional, or sexual trauma or abuse

Depression, paranoia, or obsessive-compulsive disorder

Low self-esteem and self-worth

Bullying

Feelings of shame, humiliation, and rage

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G 3
Self-Harm
Making a Diff erence: An Educators’ Guide to Child and Youth Mental Health Problems
www.cymhin.ca
Self-harm is generally an attempt to cope with a stress, and is distinct from actual attempts to end one’s 
life.
Self-harm behaviours can continue over time if the underlying stresses are not adequately dealt with, 
and, in some cases, can even progress to active thoughts of suicide. The presence of self-harm behaviours 
should, therefore, lead to a more in-depth professional assessment to look for suicidal thoughts.
If you have any concerns that a student may be self-harming, you should discuss them with the resource 
staff or your principal. Professional help to deal with this problem will likely be required.
Self Harm:
How Teachers Can Help

Prevention eff orts include helping students to express and identify their feelings, while 
also developing healthy behavioural coping skills.

Simply being available, whenever possible, to talk to a child who self-harms can make 
all the diff erence, as feelings of isolation are often part of the problem.

Consult with your school counsellor.

Let the young person know that self-harm is common and that they are by no means 
alone. 

Make sure that they know who they can go to in your local area for professional help.

Encourage the young person to think about what changes they would like in their life 
and environment in order to stop harming themselves.

Support the young person in understanding triggers of self-harm and techniques they 
can use if they feel the urge to hurt themselves. 

Encourage students to let you know if someone in their group is in trouble, upset or 
shows signs of harming themselves. Help them to understand that, if their friend is in 
danger of seriously harming themselves, it’s okay to tell someone.

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H 1
Bipolar Disorder
Making a Diff erence: An Educators’ Guide to Child and Youth Mental Health Problems
www.cymhin.ca