11% of primary and secondary school students have engaged in self-harming behaviour, study finds

A study conducted in Hong Kong has revealed that more than one in ten primary and secondary school students have engaged in self-harming behavior, such as cutting or refusing to eat, with almost half of the respondents citing school as their primary source of stress. The survey, which collected data from 254 students and 107 parents between March and August this year, aimed to help parents identify warning signs of distress and develop stress-relief strategies.

Researchers from the Junior Chamber International Lion Rock and the Hong Kong Family Mediation Association (HKFMA) found that 11% of the students surveyed had engaged in self-harming behavior, including both targeted self-harm and tendencies to harm others. The study's findings underscore the need for early professional intervention, as psychologists warn that self-harm serves as an "extreme and ineffective" emotional regulation mechanism where physical pain is used to numb intense internal turmoil.

Fish Leung, executive director of HKFMA, emphasized the importance of parents noticing warning signs in their children and withholding judgment, empathy, and communication to seek solutions. However, a significant communication gap exists, with over a fifth of students reporting their parents were unaware of their stress, and 12% of parents admitting to being unaware of their children's stress levels.