According to data analysis results for BBC Radio 4’s File on 4 programme, the self-harm rate between children aged 9 to 12 has doubled over the past six years. The professor of psychiatry at the University of Oxford, Keith Hawton, considers in spite of people surprised by the result but it is important that now the spreading of self-harm among young children is recognized.
Unfortunately, these results supported by the Guardian investigation and Place2Be’s survey among 61 secondary school children. So, the Guardian investigations showed that compared with two years ago the receivers of sleeping pills under-18s 30% increased between March and June 2020. According to experts, this mostly related to the Covid-19 crisis, which associated with fears about the virus, social isolation, the loss of routine and structure. Also, experts consider in this situation children’s lives must be prioritized and every school must be provided with an NHS-trained counselor.