Sounding the Alarm on Digital Self-harm

Investigators from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Florida Atlantic University conducted a survey of US middle and high school students to quantify the proportion of students who engage in digital self-harm. Students were eligible if they were English-speaking and aged 12–17 years. Surveys were administered via email. Two survey questions were used to assess digital self-harm: (1) “in my lifetime, I have anonymously posted something online about myself that was mean,” and (2) “in my lifetime, I have anonymously cyberbullied myself online.” For those who answered affirmatively, the frequency of engaging in self-harm was assessed (once, a few times, many times) as were the motivations for doing so. Demographics …