Qualitative Health Research XX(X) 1 –9 The Author(s) 2011

In this article we look at how young adults who self-harm became members of an online support forum. Recent stud-ies suggest that online forums can provide not only infor-mation but also mutual support (Adler & Adler, 2008; Stommel & Koole, 2010). Seale, Charteris-Black, MacFarlane, and McPherson (2010) argued that forums can facilitate discussion of sensitive health issues and pro-vide emotional support. Gavin, Rodham, and Poyer (2008) found that forums could serve as a “sanctuary ” for people with anorexia, although they noted that sites could also normalize eating disorders, possibly encouraging site users not to seek external help. Whitlock, Powers, and Eckenrode (2006) found a similar tension in their study of online forums for young people who self-harm; young people found these sites to be a valuable source of sup-port, advice, and community, but the authors raised con-cerns over the possibilities of reinforcing self-harming behavior as normal, or even desirable. Giles and Newbold (2011) suggested that unmoderated online communities offer “largely peer support rather than trusted advice and information ” (p. 427). In the context of many young people accessing the Internet for support for self-harming behavior, there is an increasing need to understand how such sites might benefi