Aim: This paper reports on a study that explores psychiatric nurses` explanations of self-harming behaviors in secure forensic psychiatric environments.Background: There is evidence suggesting that there is a differential perception between psychiatric nurses and service users of the reasons for self-harming behaviors in secure settings. This gulf in perception, which may negatively impact on the care offered to service users, is a function of nurses' lack of or limited knowledge of self-harm. Yet, research concerning nurses' reasons for service users' self-harming behaviors is limited.