Self-harm websites under fire (From The Northern Echo)

Self-harm websites under fire

8:57am Tuesday 9th February 2010

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MENTAL health experts in the North have launched a campaign against websites that can push vulnerable young people to self harm and attempt suicide.

The call came on Safer Internet Day after it was revealed that 37 young people, the youngest only 13, took their own lives and it is believed that a significant number of others have been left permanently disabled following similar attempts.

Specialists at Affinity Healthcare, which operates one of the largest Young People’s inpatient services in the UK and treats NHS patients at hospitals in Darlington and Cheshire, are encouraging young people and parents to be more aware of the threat.

Affinity has joined forces with Papyrus, a national charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicides, to offer advice on how young people can stay safe online while highlighting the dangers of websites and message boards that encourage vulnerable young people to harm themselves.

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