Responding to self-harm in the school setting: The experiences of guidance counsellors and teachers in Ireland.

Abstract

S chool - based studies identify that while one in ten young people engages in self - harm, only a small minority seek professional help. School counsellors and teachers are potentially the on ly professionals who may be aware of a young person’s self - harm, however little is known about how this impacts on them and how they might be best supported to respond to distressed students . This study employed a qualitative descriptive design to explore post - primary school teachers’ and guidance counsellors’ (n=6) experie nces of and responses to self - harm in Ireland . Findings indicate d that participants react to self - harm in a highly emotional way with less experienced staff expressing more anxiety. Guidance c ounsellors and teachers identified the need for additional time, training, and professional support to help them respond to what is a commonly occurring phenomenon. Implications for the provision of support to students who self - harm are discussed.