mental harm to a child

Type: Concept

As of November 2026, mental harm to a child has been mentioned in one podcast episode on Sword and Scale (Feb 2026). This charge captures the psychological trauma component of the prolonged captivity, threats, and sexualized torture described in the episode.

Self-harm is intentional behavior that causes harm to oneself. This is most commonly regarded as direct injury of one's own tissues, usually without suicidal intention. Other terms such as cutting, self-abuse, self-injury, and self-mutilation have been used for any self-harming behavior regardless of suicidal intent. Common forms of self-harm include damaging the skin with a sharp object or scratching with the fingernails, hitting, or burning. The exact bounds of self-harm are imprecise, but gen