self harming

Well your replies have been a revelation for me.
As some have said, perhaps it was more hidden in the past.
Boys as well, but more girls.
I do know of some girls who were anorexic - do you think the two come from the same kind of emotional problems?
In one of the links I read it was pointed out that there's a sudden increase in some hormones in adolescence which could trigger the extra-sensitive feelings.
Plus, as others have said, the pressures in school to conform and pass exams.
But it was like that in my youth.

I was not aware of any of my contemporaries self-harming or having eating disorders..but that is not to say they did not just that if it happened it was hidden away and hushed up.
My DD2 has a friend who self-harmed and has badly scarred arms but she does not hide them now. One of the TAs at the school where I am a governor is anorexic and can only work p/t as she goes home to be button fed in the afternoon. So sad as she is a great TA .

In my first job one of the other junior staff self harmed and had anorexia, this would be 50+ years ago. As I was pretty friendly with her I went to visit her in a unit she was admitted to I was scared to death being only 16. They helped her overcome her issues but it took a very long time and she never came back to work.
It does seem much more prevalent now or is it just talked about more? I have a 13yr old GD who does have some difficulty fitting in with ‘the girls’ as she is her own person and is not into girlie things but she has one or two likeminded pals and we keep a close eye on her but it is very concerning as I know they learn to hide it well. My daughter has made a point of both being comfortable sharing bathroom space when either of them are bathing/showering since GD was small which does give her an opportunity to ask if she should see anything untoward. Of course she doesn’t deliberately walk into the bathroom all the time but it’s not an issue should she be sitting on the loo while GD is in the bath and vice versa. I think it’s a good thing although I’m sure someone would have an issue with it.

I found out a few weeks ago that my youngest granddaughter (16) had done this during a very stressful period when she was doing her exams. Her mum was extremely shocked when she found out - she couldn't explain why she'd done it. I think she was even more shocked when I rolled up my sleeve and showed her the scar on my arm which I'd done many years ago. It was a spur of the moment thing during a really difficult time and I was absolutely horrified when I'd done it and was so ashamed I couldn't tell anyone. As I was decorating at the time I said I'd slipped with the scissors!

I'm sure children these days are under huge stress at school with exams, bullying, peer pressure and often issues in their home lives that some find self harming calms them down. It's such a sad situation and definitely mentors are needed in school where they can go to talk through their problems - sometimes just talking things through with someone not closely involved helps enormously.

When my daughter was a teenager she told me that by far the most common problem at her (girls) school was self-harm.

I began self harming at four and was cutting by eight.

I haven’t self harmed in seven years, but very occasionally I feel the impulse and have to use the techniques I was taught to overcome it.

Nothing has ever brought me the same sensation of complete calm and serenity as cutting.

I think people are more willing to come forward for help now.

Boys too. We should be asking why they feel under such pressure. The a school system and social media seem to be the main culprits.