Vulnerable children deliberately self-harming to stay in care, research finds
A psychotherapist has revealed that vulnerable children in UK care are deliberately self-harming to avoid being discharged from therapeutic facilities or facing a 'cliff edge' of support when they turn 18.
Some of the most vulnerable children and young people in care are deliberately self-harming to avoid being abandoned when they recover or turn 18, according to new research that highlights what one expert calls a “catastrophic situation”.
Abi Booth, a psychotherapist who works with children and young people, said some were hurting themselves to keep their place in therapeutic facilities. The behaviour stems from a fear that improving or reaching adulthood will trigger discharge and a sudden end to support, leaving them without a safety net.
The findings shed light on a systemic problem in which young people in residential care feel they must make themselves more ill to secure continued help. Booth described the dynamic as a “catastrophic situation” in which the very system meant to protect them inadvertently incentivises self-harm.
The research points to a “cliff edge” of no further support that many young people face when they turn 18, a transition that often coincides with leaving care entirely. For those in therapeutic placements, the prospect of losing access to trusted staff and structured environments can be so distressing that they resort to extreme measures to remain.
Booth’s comments come as part of a broader examination of how the care system handles the transition to adulthood. The report is expected to fuel calls for greater continuity of support for care leavers, who are already known to face disproportionately poor outcomes in health, education and employment compared with their peers.
The research also raises questions about how therapeutic facilities assess readiness for discharge and whether enough aftercare is available for young people who no longer meet the threshold for residential treatment. Without adequate step-down support, the report suggests, the cycle of self-harm to stay in care may persist.
In response to the findings, campaigners are likely to renew pressure on local authorities and the government to extend support beyond the age of 18 and to ensure that leaving care is a gradual, well-supported process rather than an abrupt cutoff. The report adds to a growing body of evidence that the current system fails some of the most vulnerable young people at the moment they need stability most.
For anyone affected by the issues raised in this report, support is available. In the UK, the youth suicide charity Papyrus can be contacted on 0800 068 4141 or by emailing pat@. Samaritans can be reached in the UK and Ireland on freephone 116 123. In the US, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available at 988 or via chat. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at.
