Self-Harm among Young People Detained in the Youth Justice System in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Self-harm is prevalent in incarcerated adults, yet comparatively few studies of self-harm in detained youth (and even fewer in low- and middle-income countries) have been published. We examined the prevalence and correlates of self-harm in a sample of 181 young people (mean age 15.0 years, SD = 2.3) detained in the youth justice system in Sri Lanka. Structured face-to-face questionnaires assessed demographic characteristics, family and social background, substance use, self-harm history (including frequency, method, and intention), bullying victimization, physical and sexual abuse (victimization and perpetration), and exposure to self-harm/suicide by others. Seventy-seven participants (43%) reported a lifetime history of self-harm, 19 of whom (25%) who reported doing so with suicidal intent. Fifty participants (65% of those with a history of self-harm) reported engaging in self-harm impulsively, with no prior planning. A history of self-harm was associated with being female, prior sexual abuse victimization, prior exposure to self-harm by friends, and a lifetime history of self-harm ideation. High rates of substance use, bullying victimization, parental incarceration, and exposure to suicide were reported across the sample. Young people detained in the youth justice system in Sri Lanka are a vulnerable group with high rates of self-harm, substance use, and psychosocial risk factors. Strategies for identifying and preventing self-harm, and targeted psychological interventions designed specifically to address impulsivity, may contribute to more positive outcomes in this marginalised population.

Bullying among children and adolescents in the SAARC countries: A scoping review

“… Haque et al., 2021 Bangladesh 1416 11–17 Community Cross sectional research 24.29% bullied by siblings Children who were bullied by their siblings had an increased risk of psychological abuse but, not neglect by adults 9. Hettiarachchi et al., 2018 Sri Lanka 181 12–16 Children in detention Cross-sectional research 71.82% of all children had experienced bullying No significant association between self harm behaviour and bullying in the children in Juvenile Justice systems in Sri Lanka 10. Irish and Murshid, 2020 Bangladesh 2883 11–17 School Cross-sectional research 24.43% Suicidal ideas—OR 2.23 Suicide attempts—OR 2.94 11.…”

“…The other studies included 8 experimental designs (7 RCT and 1 quasi-experimental design) and 5 longitudinal cohort studies. 7 were conducted in the community, of which one was conducted in child care homes in Nepal ( Bhatt et al., 2020 ), 2 in clinical settings and 1 in a juvenile detention facility ( Hettiarachchi et al., 2018 ). The studies varied in size from 35 for a qualitative study ( Upadhaya et al., 2019 ) and 40 for young people with special needs ( Nambiar et al., 2020 ) to over 15,000 students ( Shinde et al., 2020 ) and focused on children between the ages of 6–17 years of age.…”

“…In the past 12 months have you been sexually harassed or teased? Beattie et al., 2019 NA No information mentioned No information mentioned Bhatt et al., 2020 ; Gunawardana et al., 2021 ; Hettiarachchi et al., 2018 ; Mansoor and Shahzad, 2020 NA CFA = Confirmatory Factor Analysis, NA = Not applicable. …”

The health of adolescents in detention: a global scoping review

“…50 Overall, the prevalence of suicidal behaviour was markedly higher among detained adolescents than among adolescents in the general population. [51][52][53][54][55][56] In detained adolescents, the prevalence of suicidal ideation ranged from 12•7% to 59•0% over the lifetime, 57 40,41,59,65 For both sexes combined, the prevalence of suicide attempts was 1•9-6•6% during the past month and 13•3-35•0% during the past year (appendix p 10). 11,28,29,41,45,[57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64]66,67,[69][70][71][72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81] The prevalence 57,59,78 Although suicide accounted for ≤1% of all deaths among adolescents in detention, 11,74,83 the risk of suicide following release from detention is estimated to be two to nine times greater than that of their agem...…”

Towards a Greater Understanding of Suicidal Behaviour and Its Prevention

“…A study that was conducted in Switzerland investigated institutional factors, such as overcrowding and turnover, and discovered that along with already well-studied factors, these environmental factors play a crucial role—self-harm was higher when overcrowding and turnover increased, which also raises important human rights concerns [ 18 ]. Another study about risk factors in detention was conducted within the youth justice system in Sri Lanka, which helps to fill the gap in knowledge of detained young people from low- and middle-income countries [ 19 ]. This study identified high rates of self-harm, self-harm ideation, and self-harm with suicidal intent among these young people and several important psycho-social risk factors (e.g., being female, victimization of sexual abuse, exposure to self-harm by friends).…”