Self-Harm Doesn’t Stop for Christmas.

We often assume December is a lull in the academic year, a gentle winding-down, a time of festive calm before the return of January commitments. But for many young people self-harm doesn’t pause. Rather it goes underground. The closer we get to the holidays, the harder it becomes for schools to see the signs, and the more likely young people are to carry their

distress into the new year.

The current situation

A mapping report published last November found that self-harm and eating disorder hospital admissions among young people remain at historically high levels, showing that the mental-health burden in youth is continuing to escalate (Centre for Mental Health). Meanwhile the well-known “iceberg model” of self-harm estimates that for every young person whose self-harm arrives in hospital, hundreds hide it in the community, unseen by schools or services (University of Oxford).  

In a 2023 YoungMinds study one in five children and young people aged 8-25 had a probable mental health condition, and 30% of 11-16 year olds with a probable mental health condition missed a week or more of school in 2023 (YoungMinds). Combine all of this with the reality that 60% of adolescents aged 12-17 who self-harm never come to clinical attention (CKS). And you have a perfect storm: high underlying need, limited visibility, and a time of year when intervention is least likely.

Roll-on December…

Why does December become such a danger zone? Because several protective elements collapse almost simultaneously: the routine of school, the presence of trusted adults, and the momentum of early intervention. In a month that is full of celebrations, systems shift, days shorten, and the “safe script” a young person has relied on may fall apart.

When school structures fracture, the weight of self-harm shifts from visible to hidden. A tutor may notice fewer check-ins, or assemblies may dominate time previously devoted to wellbeing. The safe adult who used to notice small changes may now be pulled in multiple directions. At home, the calendar may look merry, but the underlying strain of cost-of-living, disrupted routines, family tension and appearance anxiety intensifies. A child may appear to be fine, but with nowhere to land, they carry the load alone.

Schools must recognise that this is not simply about “making December safer.” It is about recognising that the decline in visible risk is itself a risk. When fewer incidents are reported, when staff are busy with concerts and breaks, we may believe everyone is fine. The opposite is more likely.

How do we deal with this?

The new argument I offer to education leaders is this: safeguarding must be calibrated to the calendar, not just to policy. If safeguarding programmes assume we operate on a static model of school life, they will miss the structural shifts as term-end approaches. In December, the hazard is not one of scandal or explosion, but of erosion, concealment and accumulation.

Consider how language matters. A young person who says “I’m tired” or “It’s nothing” may be masking a self-harm ritual they believe they must hide until the break is over. Schools often prioritise visible crises for January, but the ‘silent’ signs in December matter more: a pupil who stopped eating with friends, who changed clothing style to cover arms, who withdrew from festive events, but passed every risk screen because it looked like “holiday fatigue.”

Here is what education systems must do this December:

• Recognise that the first half of December is a risk window, not a wind-down.

• Prioritise check-in conversations with students who “seem fine” but are quieter than usual, erratic around food or social events, avoiding usual routines.

• Adjust schedules so that protective routines remain. The last two weeks before break shouldn’t be reduced to entertainment alone; time must be carved out for connection, reflection and support.

• Equip staff not just to respond in January, but to ask twice in December, and to listen when holidays become harder, not easier.

• Use language that says “I’m here when you come back” not “See you in January.” Because for many young people, the break is the moment everything that has built up catches them.

Our final plea

Why does this matter? Because when a young person is safe for six of the twelve months but becomes invisible for two, the cumulative risk still outpaces the visible support. The calendar gap is not benign. The December months are not about fun only!! They are also about survival.

The school that chooses December safeguarding over December spectacle will be the school that prevents a student stepping off the radar only to emerge in crisis in January. Supporting young people in December is not optional, it is a moral and professional imperative.

Written by Ruth Jacobs

CEO, RMN, BSc