Why do we struggle to face the reality of self-harm?

A high percentage of young women in our churches, families and social circles are struggling with harming themselves, and they need support, not judgement,  says high school teacher-librarian Rachel Allcock

Many readers will skip past this piece, quietly thanking God that they are not directly affected by self-harm. “I don’t know anyone who cuts themselves,” they’ll say. “My body is a temple, and I would never do anything to harm it.” In fact, I’m probably just quoting the thoughts I’ve had, particularly before I went back into high-school education and received training on self-harm. This training helps teachers feel better equipped to have sensitive conversations and guide students to expert help, but it does not make us specialists.