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Self‐harm by people with learning difficulties: something to be expected or investigated?1

A review of the literature exploring self‐harm highlights variations in the way it is understood. A marked difference in approach appears to relate to the presence of a learning difficulty in the person utilizing self‐harm. Linkage with abuse has been given credence as one possible explanation for self‐harming behaviour in the general population and yet has received little consideration within literature regarding people with learning difficulties. This paper proposes that it is oppression and abuse which provide the context in which self‐harm is used by many people with learning difficulties. Continually ignoring the ‘message’ in self‐harm is to further traumatize individuals. Therefore a challenge is posed to look beyond existing responses to the use of self‐harm by people with learning difficulties.