Instagram accused over dangerous self-harm images

INSTAGRAM is allowing “extremely dangerous” pictures of self-harm to appear on its sites, images that could lead to teenagers copying the behaviour, the NSPCC has warned.

The Daily Telegraph found numerous easily accessible images showing selfmutilation on the social media platform, as well as Tumblr. The posts included images of fresh deep cuts, a picture of a girl’s thighs with scores of lacerations, and one poster showing off a collection of razor blades and scalpels.

Instagram and Tumblr have both clamped down on self-harm posts in recent years, blocking certain search terms and adding pop-up messages offering help and advice to vulnerable users. Yet posters subtly change the way they tag images to avoid detection.

Andy Burrows, NSPCC associate head of child safety online, said: “Young people on Instagram and Tumblr should never be exposed to these kind of graphic and upsetting images, which could be extremely dangerous if children copy what they see... this kind of content breaches Instagram’s and Tumblr’s own guidelines, but their moderation systems are failing to take it down.”

The developments come after NHS figures showed that hospital admissions for self-harm among girls aged under 18 have almost doubled in the past 20 years.

In 1997, there were 7,327 admissions compared with 13,463 last year.

In response, the Department of Health has pledged to invest an extra £300 million to provide help for atrisk children in schools. Dr Louise

‘This content breaches Instagram’s and Tumblr’s own guidelines, but they are failing to take it down’

Theodosiou, who sits on the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ child and adolescent psychiatry executive committee, said seeing images of self-harm on social media could prompt vulnerable youngsters to try it.

She said: “The people accessing [these images] may be hurting as well, and may think ‘this may work for me if it is working for other people’.”

Instagram said it removed any content that glorified self-harm. Tumblr said it had removed all the posts flagged to it by The Daily Telegraph. “Promotion and glorification of self-harm are prohibited on Tumblr,” said a spokesman.