self harm – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Derby asks about self-harm among girls in youth custody

The Bishop of Derby asked a question on incidences of self-harm among girls in youth custody, during a discussion on levels of self-harm in young people on 28th April 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, last month, Susannah Hancock, a member of the Youth Justice Board, published her independent review into placement for girls in custody. Many of the professionals that she consulted through that review identified self-harm by girls in secure settings as one of the biggest areas of concern. In the 12 months to September 2024, 55% of all self-harm incidents in the youth custody service involved girls, although they make up only 1.6% of the total average population in these settings. Can the Minister assure me that her department intends to collaborate with the MoJ to act on the report’s partnership recommendation to ensure greater consistency of good practice in responding to girls in custody who self-harm, including developing clear and consistent protocols on whether and how restraint is used, in order to prevent further traumatisation?

Bishop of St Albans asks about gaming related harms suffered by young people

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 5th December 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government how many children and young people were being treated by the NHS for addiction to video games or gaming disorder annually from 2015 to 2022.

Bishop of Gloucester asks about conditions for those under Imprisonment for Public Protection

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answers on 17th March 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government:

what emotional support and spiritual provision is available to prisoners under Imprisonment for Public Protection.
what assessment they have made of the increase in the numbers of prisoners under Imprisonment for Public Protection serving ten or more years beyond their original tariff.
what steps they are taking to reduce the number of women serving sentences under Imprisonment for Public Protection.

Bishop of St Albans raises serious need to address self harm amongst children and young people

On 6th December 2016, the Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Revd Alan Smith, spoke to a question he had tabled to ask the Government “what assessment they have made of the rise in the number of children and young people being treated for self-harm.” Lord Prior of Brampton responded for the Government. The Bishops’ follow-up question and those of Peers are reproduced below.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the rise in the number of children and young people being treated for self-harm.

Lord Prior of Brampton My Lords, the Government are aware of the appalling rise in self-harm in children and young people and the misery this reflects. The Government are also acutely aware that self-harm is a leading indicator of risk of suicide and recognise that much more needs to be done to address this issue.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans I thank the Minister for his reply. The research from the World Health Organization shows that around 20% of British 15 year-olds report some sort of self-harm. In the past five years, research shows that hospital admissions associated with self-harm have gone up by nearly 93% among girls and 45% among boys. Having recently visited the outstanding charity selfharmUK, in Luton in my diocese, I have seen what a concerted and systematic approach to this problem can have on a very difficult issue, and we need something similar at a national level. Will Her Majesty’s Government commit to publishing guidelines for schools and colleges about preventing and responding to self-harm?

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