Anne Longfield comments on rise in children hospitalised for self-harm

9 Dec 2016 01:30 PM

Anne Longfield, Children's Commissioner for England, commented on the recent rise in children hospitalised for self-harm in England

“The dramatic increase in the number of children seen in hospital last year due to self-harm is worrying. Left untreated, it can become a compulsion, so it is important that self-harm is identified early and that there are professionals that children can turn to if they need to. My review of school nurses published earlier this year found that nurses have the potential to play an important role in providing emotional support to children in school.

“Researchers believe that an increased time online is also fuelling anxiety. This is the focus of a project I am undertaking and will be reporting on in January. Growing up Digital will put forward proposals to help children manage their time online and for industry bodies to provide a better online environment for young people.”