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Related Experiment Videos

Digital Self-Harm Among Adolescents.

Justin W Patchin1, Sameer Hinduja2

  • 1University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

The Journal of Adolescent Health : Official Publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine
|September 23, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Digital self-harm, where adolescents anonymously post hurtful content about themselves online, affects about 6% of students. This emerging issue warrants further research into its motivations and links to mental health.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Criminology

Background:

  • Adolescent online aggression, including cyberbullying, is well-documented.
  • Digital self-harm, defined as anonymously posting hurtful content about oneself online, is an understudied phenomenon.
  • Understanding digital self-harm is crucial for adolescent mental health and safety.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the prevalence of digital self-harm among adolescents.
  • To identify correlates associated with engaging in digital self-harm.
  • To explore adolescent motivations behind digital self-harm.

Main Methods:

  • A nationally representative survey of 5,593 American middle and high school students (ages 12-17) was conducted in 2016.
  • Logistic regression analysis identified factors associated with digital self-harm.
Keywords:
CyberbullyingDepressive symptomsDigital self-harmSelf-cyberbullyingSelf-harmSuicide

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  • Qualitative responses provided insights into motivations for this behavior.

    • Main Results:

    • Approximately 6% of surveyed students reported engaging in digital self-harm.
    • Males (7.1%) were more likely than females (5.3%) to participate.
    • Correlates included sexual orientation, bullying experiences, drug use, deviance, and depressive symptoms.

    Conclusions:

    • Digital self-harm represents a novel and significant area for scholarly investigation.
    • Further research is needed to understand motivations and links to offline self-harm and suicidal ideation.
    • Informed prevention strategies for mental health professionals can be developed through deeper inquiry.