self-harm
noun
: the act of purposely hurting oneself (as by cutting or burning the skin) as an emotional coping mechanism
Although most cutters are young women who have been emotionally, sexually, or physically abused as children, [Marilee] Strong's research shows that this specific type of self-harm also appears in other groups.—
Maria Simson et al.
Maria Simson et al.called also self-injury, self-mutilation
self-harm
intransitive verb
self-harmed; self-harming; self-harms
teenagers who self-harm
Examples of self-harm in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But the West Virginia law does provide an interesting exemption allowing doctors to prescribe medical therapy if a teen is considered at-risk for suicide or self-harm.
—Danielle Marie Holland, Parents, 19 Apr. 2024
While most of the shootings involved assaults or self-harm, some were accidents, like Aaron's seemed to be.
—Stephanie Colombini, NPR, 18 Apr. 2024
What’s more, these algorithms continuously amplify harmful content — leading children and teens down dangerous rabbit holes of videos and images that promote eating disorders, glorify self-harm, and more.
—Molly O'Shea, STAT, 17 Apr. 2024
Health agencies in the U.S. and Europe say there’s no evidence that thoughts of suicide or self-harm are linked to the popular weight loss and diabetes drug semaglutide, which is sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy.
—Aria Bendix, NBC News, 15 Apr. 2024
The review by the European Union’s regulators was triggered last July by anecdotal reports that people taking the drugs had thoughts of self-harm.
—Jonel Aleccia, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2024
The review by the European Union's regulators was triggered last July by anecdotal reports that people taking the drugs had thoughts of self-harm.
—Jonel Aleccia, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2024
Also, Native Americans in Wisconsin were hospitalized for self-harm at more than double the rate of whites, according to a 2022 DHS report.
—Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024
Neither company has figured out responses for problematic content that deals with topics like self-harm.
—Alexandra Sternlicht, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
Danielle Marie Holland, Parents, 19 Apr. 2024
While most of the shootings involved assaults or self-harm, some were accidents, like Aaron's seemed to be.
—Stephanie Colombini, NPR, 18 Apr. 2024
What’s more, these algorithms continuously amplify harmful content — leading children and teens down dangerous rabbit holes of videos and images that promote eating disorders, glorify self-harm, and more.
—Molly O'Shea, STAT, 17 Apr. 2024
Health agencies in the U.S. and Europe say there’s no evidence that thoughts of suicide or self-harm are linked to the popular weight loss and diabetes drug semaglutide, which is sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy.
—Aria Bendix, NBC News, 15 Apr. 2024
The review by the European Union’s regulators was triggered last July by anecdotal reports that people taking the drugs had thoughts of self-harm.
—Jonel Aleccia, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2024
The review by the European Union's regulators was triggered last July by anecdotal reports that people taking the drugs had thoughts of self-harm.
—Jonel Aleccia, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2024
Also, Native Americans in Wisconsin were hospitalized for self-harm at more than double the rate of whites, according to a 2022 DHS report.
—Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024
Neither company has figured out responses for problematic content that deals with topics like self-harm.
—Alexandra Sternlicht, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'self-harm.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near self-harm
Cite this Entry
“Self-harm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-harm. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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