Self-Harm: A Challenge for Pastoral Care

Deliberate self-harm (DSH) has received a considerable deal of recent publicity in the press and through the creation of a National Inquiry into Self-Harm and Young People, and there are grounds for believing that it is on the increase. Little is known about how DSH impacts upon schools or how teachers and support staff respond. This paper begins with seven extracts from 34 research interviews undertaken in 2003/4, which illustrate the experiences of DSH in educational contexts. The complex nature of DSH is examined, and the challenges that it poses for pastoral casework, the pastoral curriculum and the school as a community are considered. Issues raised include the need for training and support for teachers, problems of confidentiality and the boundaries between professional and personal involvement. The paper ends by considering the implications for schools that wish to make better pastoral and curricular provision in response to this disturbing phenomenon.