Introduction

On August 2nd 2013 Hannah Smith died.   This fourteen year - old Leicestershire schoolgirl, described by her family as a "bubbly,happy" person and "self confident", took her own life amid claims she was bullied online and the victim of "trolling".

The heartache of losing a child in such a desperately cruel and tragic way and the impact on her family is difficult to imagine.  Her father, David Smith, responded like many parents would, with calls for tighter regulation for the industry and a change in the law to protect vulnerable youngsters from online abuse.  It was a cry that struck a chord with parents across the nation and one that reverberated all the way to government. 

This exciting new publication from SWGfL explores:

• Understanding the breadth of self-harming behavior
• How it can look like - finding your tribe, tools of the trade, auto-trolling, self-baiting
• What next? - add sophistication to current interventions, educate children and young people, appropriate professional development for the children's workforce, intelligence, safeguarding by design
• In Conclusion
• Further help, support and advice
• Links