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Copied from [ Self-harm]

Self-harming Behaviors Among Adolescents [edit]
Identifying the risk-factors and patterns of self-harming behaviors among adolescents must take into account the stark cultural, psychosocial, and neurological differences compared to adult populations. A particular consideration to take into account is the effect of internet use and social media on adolescents and young adults. For example, digital self-harm is a from of self-harm that perpetuates and reinforces self-hate and low self-worth online. According to Justin W. Patchin and Sameer Hinduja, digital self-harm is "the anonymous online posting, sending, or otherwise sharing of hurtful content about oneself," and it is an increasingly prevalent form of self-harm in the modern day and age for adolescents. Self-hate is highly prevalent in the adolescent stages. Through recent decades, the popularity of social media use has grown rapidly and most adolescents now confront their feelings, whether about themselves or about others, within online forums. During 2016, the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine published a nationally representative survey of 5,593 middle school and high school students (12 to 17 years old). The study was led by Justin W. Patchin and Sameer Hindujaheir, and one of their main findings state that 6 percent of students reported that they have cyberbullied themselves. The study also found that males were more likely to report digital self-harm than females, with 7.1 percent for male endorsement compared to 5.3 percent endorsement for females. The research discussed additional correlations between digital self-harm and psychosocial factors such as sexual orientation, prior experience with bullying, drug use, and depressive symptoms.

As Patchin and Hindujaheir's research began to highlight, variables related to marginalized intersecting identities, mental health, and adverse life experiences significantly moderate an adolescent's pattern of self-harm. A recent collaborative research study especially highlights the role of sexual identity among adolescents, concluding that identifying as a sexual minority can increase chances of both a suicide attempt and engagement in self-harm by over 50%. It is important to note that this study only measured sexual identity in terms of "gay," "lesbian," "bisexual," or "other," so research exploring asexual, pansexual, demisexual, and polysexual identities should be employed in the future.