Sometimes life can become really difficult and problems can seem overwhelming. At these times some young people may think about hurting themselves. This can be very confronting for them and for the people who care about them.
The following is an Information Sheet from BeyondBlue that is an excellent resource for Parents and Guardians, and will also give great understanding for you as a Youth Leader.
“Knowing that someone you love is hurting themselves can be frightening. It can be hard to understand and often your immediate reaction is to want it to stop. But giving up self-harm is not always that simple. It can take time for young people to learn the skills they need to stop self-harming. Fortunately there are lots of things you can do to help them through this process.
What is self-harm and self-injury?
Self-harm refers to deliberately hurting their bodies. There are many different types of self-harm including burning, punching and picking skin or sores. However, the most common is cutting. Self-harm is usually done in secret and on places of the body that may not be noticeable to others.”
Please continue to read the remainder of this Information Sheet.
