Jack’s Story
Jack chooses to tell a staff member that he has been hurting himself. Watch two alternative responses from the staff member.
School staff are often the first professionals that young people choose to speak to about their mental health needs.
As you watch the video, consider:
- How do you think Jack felt when he knocked on the teacher’s door?
- What injury is the student hiding?
- Does this injury fit with your existing ideas of what self-harm is?
- What does the staff member do differently in the more supportive response?
Open Access Research: Gender Differences in Self-harm
Diggins et al (2024) explored gender differences in the risk factors for self-harm among adolescents, using data from the Millennium Cohort Study. Over 11,000 young people were surveyed at around age 14. The prevalence of self-harm was 15.4% with a ratio of 2.6 females to 1 male. Bullying others and same-sex attraction were more strongly associated with self-harm in boys than girls.
Diggins et al (2024) explored gender differences in the risk factors for self-harm among adolescents, using data from the Millennium Cohort Study. Over 11,000 young people were surveyed at around age 14. The prevalence of self-harm was 15.4% with a ratio of 2.6 females to 1 male. Bullying others and same-sex attraction were more strongly associated with self-harm in boys than girls.
Diggins, E., Heuvelman, H., Pujades-Rodriguez, M., House, A., Cottrell, D., & Brennan, C. (2024). Exploring gender differences in risk factors for self-harm in adolescents using data from the Millennium Cohort Study. Journal of affective disorders, 345, 131-140.
