Dr Angela Dixon has more than 20 years’ experience working with emotionally troubled young people across a range of clinical and community settings, both in Australia and overseas.

Self-harm describes a range of behaviours in which young people deliberately inflict harm upon themselves.

The forum will help parents and carers understand the experience and motivation of adolescents who intentionally injure themselves and will focus on what they can do.

Doctors say self-harm can be a way for a young person to show they are feeling a lot of pain and hurt, both emotionally and physically.

Albury High School counsellor Judy Dougherty urged parents and community members to attend.

“Self-harm is an issue that has always been around, but in the past year there have been higher presentations of this occurring in schools,” she said.

“It is a difficult issue for parents to handle. This forum will help parents understand what it is and how they can help.

“About 6 per cent of young people inflict non-suicidal self-harm injuries,” she said.

“You treat it differently (to attempted suicide) and you need things in place for helping students.”

The forum will be held at Glenecho Neighbourhood Centre in Burrows Road from 6-8pm.