International Joint Research Group - International Consortium on Self-Injury in Educational Setting

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), the self-inflicted damage to body tissue without conscious suicidal intent (e.g., cutting; burning) is the most reliable predictor of later suicidal thoughts and behaviours. The behaviour typically onsets in youth aged 12-14 years; up to one in five community-based adolescents engage in NSSI, making NSSI a growing issue of concern for schools. However NSSI is also highly prevalent among young adults, particularly university/college students. Adolescence and emerging adulthood are particularly turbulent periods of human development; understanding how NSSI is initiated and maintained, and how resilience is built, throughout this period is crucial to the development of successful prevention and intervention initiatives. Yet, the high rate of NSSI among students in schools and colleges poses unique challenges within these
educational settings. These include (but are not limited to):
● How to support students who self-injure, and the friends they confide in
● Information provision and gatekeeper training for staff, students, and parents
● Determining how staff in education settings, parents, and young people can work together to address NSSI in the educational environment
● Developing effective referral pathways
● Legal &ethical issues relating to confidentiality & duty of care, implementation into policy
● How to talk safely about NSSI within educational settings
● How to minimize associated risk factors/consequences including deteriorating academic performance, being bullied, and poor social connectedness
● How to prevent NSSI and develop effective early intervention
The International Consortium on Self-Injury in Educational Settings (ICSES) aims to tackle these challenges, and others related to the educational environment, through a dedicated, interdisciplinary and international research program.