Stars blamed for rise in self-harming

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Marie Claire news: Amy Winehouse

First it was drugs, then it was drink – now, self-harming stars such as Amy Winehouse are being blamed for fuelling an increase in copycat behaviour in schoolgirls.

The latest figures from A&E departments show a 29% rise in the number of young females who cut themselves in the past four years. Of the 250 children across the country taken to hospital each week, eight out of ten are girls.

And charities like the Samaritans say stars such as Winehouse, who are pictured with scars and scratches on their arms, are adding to the crisis.

A spokesman for the Samaritans said: 'Having photos of Amy Winehouse looking like she has been self-harming isn’t particularly helpful, because they are not offering positive examples.'

More than 13,000 children were treated for self-harming in England and Wales last year.

Amy’s dad, Mitch, said: 'This is a problem that affects everybody, from women in the public eye like my daughter, to young girls up and down the country.'

Other famous women who have admitted to self-harming include Angelina Jolie, Drew Barrymore, Christina Ricci and Courtney Love. Lindsay Lohan has also been pictured with scars on her arms, although she denies self-harming.