Press Association
Sunday 12th February 2012
Medical experts have called for internet images that "romanticise" self-harm to be removed after new figures showed a 50% rise in young people being admitted to hospital for deliberately cutting themselves.
There were 1,758 admissions for self-harm with a sharp object among people under 25 in 2004/05 - a figure which rose to 2,727 in 2008/09, according to research conducted by the University of Stirling.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP) has now called on websites to take down any information which appears to glamorise the activity.
Dr Margaret Murphy, chair of its child and adolescent faculty, said: "The RCP is seriously concerned at the recent growth in the number of internet sites featuring images and video footage of young people engaging in self-harm and, in particular, websites which appear to promote self-harm.
"The Royal College of Psychiatrists calls upon all website owners and moderators to ensure that material images and commentary which appear to promote or romanticise self-harm are removed."
Highlighting the scale of the problem, she said one in 10 people engage in self-harm at some point in their lives.
Britain has one of the highest rates in Europe, she added, something which could be exacerbated by an increase in images and video footage online.
But she said the reasons behind self-harm were "complex" and warned against demonising the internet as a whole.
"We know that self-harm is associated with mental distress, often in the context of stressful life events or circumstances which the young person is struggling to cope with. Self-harm may also be associated with illnesses such as depression," she said.
"Websites which appear to romanticise self-harm may stop young people from seeking help and instead promote self-harm as a solution to their problems."
