Saturday 13 December 2014

Self-Harm

The Today programme brought us the staggering news that self-harm among boys aged 10 to 14 had increased by 30 per cent in one year and was at a five-year high.

Radio Four continued to mention this on the hour at nine, 10 and, I think, 11 o'clock. But there has been nothing on radio or television since.

Coverage was extended, however, to those who were demonstrating in support of the depiction of practices that boggle even what is now my more-or-less middle-aged mind, and who were staging arguably unlawful simulations of those acts in public and on television.

As if the pornogrification, and within that the bizarre fetishisation, of our popular culture were unconnected to the rise in mental health problems, and not least in the problems likely to give rise to self-harm, among adolescent boys.

There is some complaint that these Regulations seem to have emanated from one of those bodies which pretty much get to write their own legislation. That is a larger problem, and a real one.

Very well, then. Let them be put to a Division of the House of Commons. Who will protect our boys' mental health and emotional well-being in the Division Lobby? Who will not?

2 comments:

  1. You can't people that sexy pop culture has anything to do with self harm.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Predictive text?

      Anyway, I can and I do. In fact, I don't see how you can't, and I don't believe that you really don't.

      Delete