14 • happiful.com • September 2019
Nasty messages, vicious comments – we’ve all seen or heard
about online trolling, but what would cause someone to send
such hurtful comments to themselves?cyber self-harm?
What is
B
eing a teenager is tough.
This is often when mental
health conditions first
appear, questions of
identity, and ‘where do I fit in?’
hang heavy in the air. This was
something I certainly wrestled with
as a teenager. It was also the time I
started self-harming.
Self-harm is when a person
intentionally causes themselves
harm, usually through cutting,
burning, or putting themselves in
dangerous situations.
Those who self-harm often use
it as a coping mechanism to help
them deal with difficult emotions.
Perhaps it comes as no surprise
then that, according to the Mental
Health Foundation, the majority
of people affected by self-harm are
aged 11–25. Something I didn’t have
to contend with at school, however,
was social media.
Times have changed, and so has
the mental health landscape. The
realm of self-harm has now
expanded and gone digital.WHAT IS CYBER SELF-HARM?
Cyber self-harm is when someone
uses an anonymous social media
platform to send themselves
abusive comments or messages.While cyber self-harm is not as
well understood as cyber-bullying
and harassment, it’s thought to be a
growing problem.
A US survey published in the
Journal of Adolescent Health in 2017
sampled students between the ages
of 12 and 17, and found 6% had
sent themselves anonymous abuse
online. Looking at the gender split,Writing | Kat Nicholls Illustrating | Rosan Magarthey found males
were more likely
to cyber self-harm
(7.1% compared
with 5.3%
females).