Increasing number of children self-harming, survey suggests
Some students are self-harming because of exam pressure, survey suggests
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Wednesday, 19, Mar 2008 11:08
Increasing numbers of children are self-harming and becoming anorexic due to pressures at school and home, a new survey suggests.
A poll for the teaching union ATL revealed that nearly half of teachers (46 per cent) are aware of pupils self-harming.
Eighteen of the secondary school teachers and two primary school teachers said there have been increasing numbers of anorexia cases in their schools.
Nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) of teachers questioned said they thought children are under more pressure now than ten years ago.
Testing and exams and family break-up were cited by teachers as the biggest causes of stress in their pupils.
One secondary school teacher in Berkshire commented: "Self-harm seems to be a growing problem. In my first 30 years of teaching I was aware of only one case.
"In the last eight years, there have been at least ten cases. The youngest pupil I know is 14-years-old."
Just 18 per cent of teachers said they believe local services to support children with emotional and behavioural problems are sufficiently joined up.
"We repeatedly refer students for support but they have to wait between four and five months because the service is so busy," a secondary school teacher in Bristol said.
"I am dealing with three pupils at the moment with mental health issues and many more face stress, mainly from family dysfunction and exam pressure, with pupils showing signs of withdrawal and inability to learn."
Commenting on the survey, ATL general secretary Dr Mary Bousted said: "The recent shocking spate of teenage suicide has focused attention on children's mental health and wellbeing.
"Our survey also shows an increasing number of cases of self-harm and eating disorders brought on by stress."
She added: "We believe that young people face intolerable strain from an education system which cannot stand failure.
"From an early age, children face the pressure to perform in tests to boost their schools' league tables.
"Then they take on parental demands to get into their choice of secondary school and later university. They are anxious to fit in with their peers, and then when they don't fit in, are bullied via text, email and social networking sites."