The Alarming Price of Vulnerability: Why Children Are Self Harming to Stay in Care A recent study has revealed a disturbing trend among vulnerable children and young people in care: they are intentionally self harming to avoid being abandoned or reaching adulthood without support.
This phenomenon is not just a tragic symptom of a broken system but also a stark reminder that our social safety net, intended to protect the most vulnerable, has become a perverse incentive for exploitation.
In England alone, over 400,000 children are in care, and nearly 84,000 are looked after by local authorities.