What you Need to Know About Self-Injury

This fact sheet provides information for parents about self-injury and recovery in young people.

It covers:

• ‘How do I know if my child is self-injuring?’
• ‘What might I feel when I learn my child is self-injuring, and how do I deal with these feelings?’
• ‘How should I talk to my child about his/her self-injury?’
• ‘What are some helpful questions I can ask my child to better understand his/her self-injury?’
• ‘What are some things I should avoid saying or doing?’
• ‘How do I know if I’m doing or saying the right thing?’
• ‘Are there any activities I can complete with my child to help them manage their urges to self-injure?’
• ‘Is my child self-injuring my fault?’
• ‘How might my relationship with my child affect his/her self-injury?’
• ‘How might my child’s peer relationships affect his/her self-injury?’
• ‘What aspects of the home environment might be affecting my child’s self-injury?’
• ‘How can I foster a protective home environment?’
• ‘Five stages of change’
• ‘Finding treatment’