{"id":35652,"date":"2022-09-14T01:59:56","date_gmt":"2022-09-14T01:59:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/?p=35652"},"modified":"2022-09-14T01:59:56","modified_gmt":"2022-09-14T01:59:56","slug":"your-teen-may-be-engaging-in-digital-self-harm-heres-what-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjstudents.com\/index.php\/2022\/09\/14\/your-teen-may-be-engaging-in-digital-self-harm-heres-what-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Teen May Be Engaging In ‘Digital Self-Harm.’ Here’s What To Know."},"content":{"rendered":"

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After British teen Hanna Smith<\/a> killed herself in 2013, her father told U.K. media that she had been the target of bullying online. Her family\u2019s tragedy sparked calls for greater regulation of social media to crack down on such conduct.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Days later, however, an online platform on which Smith was bullied said<\/a> that many of the messages in question had come from the teen\u2019s own IP address, suggesting she had sent them herself.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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This behavior \u2014 anonymously sharing hurtful content about yourself online \u2014 is known by researchers and psychologists as \u201cdigital self-harm,\u201d and awareness of the problem has grown in recent years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In July, a study<\/a> found a link between teens engaging in digital self-harm and considering or attempting suicide. Specifically, researchers said that teens who engaged in digital self-harm were five to seven times more likely to report suicidal thoughts, and nine to 15 times more likely to attempt suicide. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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This is not necessarily a causal link. It\u2019s still unclear whether digital self-harm causes teens to think more about suicide, or if suicidal thoughts cause <\/em>the self-harm.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWe still don\u2019t know what comes first,\u201d Justin W. Patchin, the study\u2019s lead author, told HuffPost. \u201cBut we know they are connected.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

What Does Digital Self-Harm Look Like, And How Prevalent Is It?<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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Patchin, a professor of criminal justice at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, said that he was shocked upon learning of the Smith case and has since worked with colleagues on several studies around digital self-harm in teens. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cDigital self-harm occurs when an individual creates an anonymous online account and uses it to publicly send hurtful messages or threats to one\u2019s self,\u201d Patchin told HuffPost. \u201cMost commonly … it manifests as threats or targeted messages of hate \u2014 the more extreme and rare forms of cyberbullying.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Digital self-harm looks like cyberbullying because it is<\/em> cyberbullying. The only difference is that the bully and the victim are the same person. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In 2017, Patchin worked on a study<\/a> that surveyed 5,593 teens and found that about 6% reported posting something mean about themselves online. Males were more likely than females to have done so \u2014 7.1% compared with 5.3% \u2014 as were teens who had been bullied or cyberbullied by others, or who identified as LGBTQ.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

What Motivates Teens To Engage In Digital Self-Harm?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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Like cutting and similar behaviors, digital self-harm is often a cry for help.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThis is not something that kids do just because they think it\u2019s cool,\u201d Cindy Graham, a child psychologist in Maryland, told HuffPost. \u201cThey see it as a way to deal with the problem that they\u2019re experiencing.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Self-harm can be \u201ca coping strategy to manage feelings associated with deeper and more significant mental health issues,\u201d said Dr. Shairi Turner, a pediatrician and the chief medical officer at Crisis Text Line<\/a>, which provides mental health support and crisis intervention via text messaging.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cDigital self-harm can be a way of drawing attention or sympathy for a teen who is struggling and does not feel equipped to ask for help directly,\u201d Turner told HuffPost. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Patchin said some of the young people in his research who had engaged in digital self-harm \u201creported issues with low self-esteem or self-hate.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Others, he said, \u201cdid it to be funny or because they wanted attention.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In some cases, teens are looking for a certain kind of attention from specific people, posting the remarks online as a sort of test to see if friends will come to their defense. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cIf there is then the expectation of \u2018I\u2019ll get a lot of feedback because of this,\u2019 then if they don\u2019t get that feedback, that can actually worsen symptoms of depression,\u201d said Graham. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

What Do Parents Need To Know?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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Bullying and self-harm, either separately or apart, are increasingly an issue for teens. At Crisis Text Line, \u201cconversations about bullying increased by 20% in 2021 compared to 2020, and conversations about self-harm increased by 10% compared to 2020,\u201d Turner said. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Unfortunately, parents often have no idea that their child is engaging in digital self-harm. Patchin said he has seen cases in which a child was revealed as the source of their own bullying only after worried parents involved authorities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Because it\u2019s impossible to keep tabs on everything that teens do online, and because they are often highly skilled in circumventing parents\u2019 digital safeguards \u2014 using web browsers to access restricted apps, or creating multiple social media profiles, for example \u2014 your best source of information is usually your own child.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThe best we can do as parents is be there for our kids, so if they are experiencing anything hurtful \u2014 online or off \u2014 they feel comfortable turning to us for help,\u201d said Patchin. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Graham warned against interpreting self-harm as young people \u201cdoing it for attention.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThat\u2019s not the way you want to react to it, [by] dismissing it, because if anything, it can escalate the behavior or cause even more of a regression in how they\u2019re functioning, so it can lead to more intense cries for help,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Knowing that you are willing to discuss their mental health issues \u2014 and can do so without judgment \u2014 opens the door for them to talk about their struggles. You should also encourage children to tell a trusted adult if they are worried that one of their friends may be at risk. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI usually am pretty hesitant about recommending that kids say something to the kid themselves,\u201d Graham said, adding that a school guidance counselor is often a safe, neutral figure to whom a child can anonymously report concern about a friend. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s never too early to start having those conversations,\u201d she said, since kids may witness instances of bullying or self-harm as soon as they start going online.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It can be helpful to keep in touch with the parents of your child\u2019s friends, who may hear about an issue with your child before you do.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Signs To Look Out For<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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The signs that your teen may be contemplating or engaging in self-harm are similar to those for depression. In fact, Patchin said that in his first study on the topic, his team found that any kind of bullying \u201cwas associated with digital self-harm, as well as drug use, depressive symptoms, and offline \u2014 physical \u2014 self-harm.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Parents should be alert to changes in their teen, Turner advised. In addition to behavior like cutting or drug and alcohol use, parents might notice a \u201closs of interest in activities, changes in friendship circles, withdrawing from friends, increased or decreased sleep, increased or decreased appetite, changes in grades or participation in school activities,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Turner stressed the importance of open communication and a lack of judgment on your part.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cMost important is to know your child and communicate openly with them as early as you can about their mood swings and your willingness to discuss their mental health,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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You should never doubt whether to ask your child if they are thinking about harming themselves.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cAlways ask,\u201d Turner emphasized. \u201cThis will not cause them to attempt suicide or self-harm.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n