People who engage in both self-harm and violence (‘dual harm’) in prison cause widespread disruption to prison services. Whilst the behavioural profile of such individuals is gaining attention, there is very little research which explores their life histories and how these contextualise their dual harm. This study qualitatively explored how five young men in a medium secure prison in England with a history of dual harm (in the community, prison, or both) made sense of their life experiences and engagement in dual harm behaviours. Participants were interviewed using an in-depth life story interview protocol. A narrative analysis identified three themes: ‘Beginning: Making sense of a traumatic childhood’, ‘Middle: Exploring challenges during late adolescence’ and ‘End: Who I am now, and who I must be’. These themes, grounded in life experiences and associated meaning, offer valuable insights into the underpinnings of dual harm behaviours and direction for interventions addressing dual harm in prisons. The paper concludes with a discussion of key implications and directions for future research and practice in relation to the support and management of people who dual harm in custody.
Radically different