Self-injurious behaviors occur when a child knowingly and deliberately harms his or her body in order to change the way they are feeling. This type of behavior has become increasingly common among children. Self-injurious behaviors can be a sign of an underlying mental health issue, but the physical wounds can also lead to scarring, infections, or other complications. Although all children may hurt themselves accidentally, self-injurious behaviors are not part of normal child development and should be addressed.
Other mental health issues usually accompany self-injurious behaviors. If you are concerned that your child may be injuring themself, then you may need to consider other mental health issues as well. Also, some children who hurt themselves may lack certain coping and communication skills and may need help developing these skills.
The signs and symptoms of self-injurious behavior are different depending on the type of self-injurious behavior. Your child may be injuring themself if they:
Possible mental health diagnoses within this symptom cluster include:
