Social workers must understand self-harm warning signs and intervention strategies in order to appropriately respond.

Cutting, scratching, burning, hair-pulling. For some adolescents, experiencing self-inflicted physical pain becomes a regular practice to manage psychological pain. This is not a rare phenomenon. In fact, studies have put the range anywhere from 12%–37% of high schoolers engaging in some form of self-harm (Cornell University, 2021). Whether used as a coping mechanism, a way to express anger, or for dealing with intense emotional pain, self-harm (also known as self-injury) is often a call for help.

Social workers must understand self-harm warning signs and intervention strategies in order to appropriately respond. In this Assignment, you develop a presentation to raise awareness and educate other social work professionals on this issue.

Imagine that you are tasked with presenting on self-harm at a professional conference. You need to be able to educate others on what to look for and how to approach an adolescent who is showing signs of self-harm.

Submit a 5- to 6-slide PowerPoint presentation explaining the indicators of self-harm, appropriate interventions, and follow-up steps for professionals needing to respond to adolescents who self-harm.

PowerPoint slides should present bulleted text on the slides with a full transcript of the presentation in the notes section. Include citations and a Reference slide to document the sources you have used.