Study: One in 10 School Children in Northern Ireland Have Self-Harmed

A new study conducted by researchers at Glasgow University in collaboration with the Northern Ireland Department of Health has found that one in 10 school children in Northern Ireland have self harmed.

The researchers surveyed more than 3,500 school children and found that around 10 percent of the children admitted to self harming. Some of the most common reasons include past exposure to years of conflict, emergence of social media, bullying, sexual, physical, alcohol and drug abuse.

The researchers added that the rate of self harm in Northern Ireland was lower than the rest of the UK and Republic of Ireland, which came as a surprise as rates of hospital-treated self-harm are on the higher side.

"These findings highlight the wide range of risk factors associated with self-harm. They also suggest that the emotional and psychological legacy of the Northern Ireland conflict, as well as the influence of new technologies, are associated with self-harm among adolescents in Northern Ireland - and need to be addressed", lead researcher Prof Rory O'Connor said.


Source: Medindia