It’s been recommended to me by my counselour to draw on my arms as a coping / cover-up method for self harming,
I am currently attending as a day kid at NS skills camp and was wondering if this would get me in trouble / how much staff would care?
Thanks for any answers!
Something to raise with the welfare team on camp. People on here will be able to give their opinion but there are many factors involved.
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Its likely to get you told off but there’s a couple of things that you could potentially do
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Use marker as close to your skin colour as possible and wear your sleeves down
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Talk to your staff and share like you’ve done on here, and have it down as a medical (which works for staff in the know, but not all and not ncos)
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I have a similar cadet and they use a doodle book whilst they are in cadets. As a Sqn we provide it for them and it fits in their pocket.
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Speaking generally, if it’s something you do in a relevant moment and then it’s there for a bit while you do other things and not washed off, as far as cadets is concerned you could just wear long sleeves in uniform.
It would be a benefit to explain to staff that it’s a recommended form of therapy for you which is why you do it. I wouldn’t expect to be told any more than that unless you wanted to give more detail.
If there would be an instance where drawing during lessons or activities might be required, then substituting for a notepad would be ideal, but if that’s not an effective option then explaining in advanced that there might be times that you need to excuse yourself and find a quiet space could also work.
There’s possibly going to be some potential grey areas and negotiation around what is beneficial to you without being too disruptive and also ensuring that staff can be confident in meeting their safeguarding responsibilities.
What matters most though is that you are having the right conversations with people that can help and asking questions to find the best path forward.
As @bob1 says, speak to a relevant person on the camp and explain as much as you feel comfortable explaining, and get their advice and support.
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Hey @cadethilsden - as a parent of a ND daughter who draws on herself and doodles (as a way to occupy her creative mind while trying to focus) and a former CFAV, I can see lots of things that might be causing you worry.
Before anything else - well done for coming in here and asking. My daughter has gone through a lot at school, but they’ve recently started to understand that she struggles to advocate for herself - so, really well done for getting this far!
Now for a somewhat personal question - are your squadron staff aware of the reasons that you doodle / draw on yourself?
While trying to be sensitive to you I’m also mindful of how the staff at camp “might” react if there’s something they are concerned by.
The “easiest” thing is to warn them… Whether you want to take control of this yourself or ask a parent or a trusted member of staff to help, is up to you.
Ultimately, all the camp staff need to know is “Cadet X may start doing this - this is NORMAL. However if they do this, then please be concerned.”
Every CFAV I know simply wants to ensure every cadet can participate and enjoy every opportunity where possible - but they also take their safeguarding duty of care responsibilities as equally serious. As you will appreciate, this means not only your safety and wellbeing - but that of others around you.
Drawing on yourself does nothing to affect your safety or wellbeing - or that of others - but, if it’s a possible sign of a more serious matter, then it may raise worries.
More is being done to inform and support - but the one person that can help guide the staff most effectively is you!
My daughter has various behavioural traits that take a bit of getting to know - but ultimately only one or two are cause for concern.
As far as “will I get into trouble for doing this?” - being blunt, if the staff didn’t know a little of the reason behind it - then it’s likely to attract a bit of attention!
How much information you provide to prevent this is up to you. (My daughter has a discrete set of hand signals that she can give to tell me how she’s doing. From a finger and thumb being used to show “ok” as a question / answer, to then using number of fingers to show how her mind / social battery is…!
Staff have a duty of care to hold any and all information relating to safeguarding in utmost confidence. Once informed, they can ensure they don’t draw unnecessary attention - and help you to enjoy the activity!
Have fun!
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Well done for asking, as others have said. It’s important anyway that your adult staff know about this, if you have been self-harming or wanting to do so, so they can look out for you; but also because if you start wearing long sleeves when others have their sleeves rolled up then we are trained to look for that as a danger sign for self-harming anyway.
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Thanks for sharing this - it’s always useful for me to learn about more coping strategies. A camp padre can help if other staff ask more questions - or your sqdn chaplain can talk to camp staff in advance, if that might help. Very best wishes.