Self-harming adolescents: how do they perceive and explain this behavior?

Abstract Self-harm is a prevalent adolescence behavior, indicated as a public health problem. The objective was to understand how adolescents perceive and explain this behavior, considering family and school characteristics. It’s a multiple case study, in which five self-harming adolescents participated, enrolled in a public school in Novo Hamburgo-RS, participated in the study. They answered the following instruments: Sociodemographic Data Sheet, Semi-Structured Interview, Family Support Perception Inventory, Youth Self-Reporting and Delaware School Climate Survey-Student. Each case was individually analyzed and cross-case synthesis was performed. Self-harm was indicated as a strategy to relief suffering and regulate emotions. Low familial support, lack of skills, and presence of internalizing and externalizing problems were evidenced, as well as negative evaluation of peer relations and student engagement. When faced with a complex phenomenon, it is important to contemplate individual and relational issues in interventions.