More than 600 children, some as young as nine, have been admitted to hospitals in the district after self-harming in the last three years, new figures reveal.
A total of 609 children were admitted to Airedale Hospital and Bradford Royal Infirmary between 2010 and March this year.
The youngest age of a child admitted to Airedale was ten. A total of 441 children aged ten to 16 were admitted to the two hospitals.
The reasons for treatment range from intentional self-harming using sharp objects, injuries caused by falls from high places or by lying before moving objects, through to drugs, alcohol or solvent abuse.
At Airedale Hospital, there were 14 admissions from January to March this year, 45 in 2012, and 58 both in 2011 and 2010.
ChildLine, which is run by the NSPCC, said self-harm was an area of growing concern.
Councillor Ralph Berry said: “There needs to be a thorough assessment of the situation. I do recall one or two similar situations when I was a kid where people would harm themselves but we live in a far more complex world now, with bullying and harassment on the internet.
“It is very important that parents are aware of the tools available to prevent online harassment.”
ChildLine can be contacted free and in confidence on 0800 1111 or visit ChildLine.org.
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