11,000 teenagers were surveyed | Photo: Pexels, posed by models
A study has found that almost half of UK teenagers who identify as LGBTI have self-harmed.
The survey of 11,000 teenagers also found that nearly a quarter of 14-year-old girls (22%) have self-harmed.
Meanwhile, 9% of boys responded saying they have self-harmed in the last year.
Rates of self-harm among those who are attracted to the same or both sexes was 46%.
The newly-released figures are part of the Good Childhood Report, produced by The Children’s Society. They cited homophobic bullying and gender expectations as reasons for the results.
The charity thus estimates that 110,000 children aged 14 (76,000 girls and 33,000 boys) have self-harmed in the last year.
According to the NSPCC, common reasons for self-harming among teenagers include depression, pressure at school and emotional abuse.
The study also found that children attracted to the same or both genders are more likely to have depression and be unhappy with their life.
Grieving, bullying and relationship problems with family and friends are also common reasons, reports the BBC.
‘An awful lot of stigma’
The charity’s policy and research manager Richard Crelli told Thomson Reuters Foundation: ‘There’s still an awful lot of stigma.’
‘There are still too many schools where being called gay is an insult, where there isn’t an inclusive atmosphere, and young people might feel like they need to hide their sexuality because they might be bullied by staff or by pupils.’
‘Deeply worrying’
Chief Executive of The Children’s Society Matthew Reed, said: ‘It is deeply worrying that so many children are unhappy to the extent that they are self-harming.’
He furthermore added: ‘Worries about how they look are a big issue, especially for girls.
‘But this report shows other factors such as how they feel about their sexuality and gender stereotypes may be linked to their unhappiness.’
The Children’s Society has been approached by GSN for comment.
Need support? Click here for a list of helplines for LGBTI people in crisis or in need of advice.
