7 year old daughter self harming...why?

[SpiritualKnot]

Hi there,
My 7 year old daughter seems to be self-harming. She goes to bed and then comes down wih blood all over her lips and/or tongue. When I look, it looks like she's done it on purpose, that is there may be 5 or 6 puncture marks on her lower inner lip. Also there are sometimes lots of tissues around with blood on as if she's been biting them for a while, not just a one off bite. My husband says that his sister used to self harm a bit, not at such a young age though..it's abit beyond my understanding. I've humoured her and dabbed the blood away and told her to be careful. But last night I just told her to stop doing it....she went crazy, saying it had been an accident etc. She has a happy home life, quite sensitive about whether people like her etc, not keen on school but not bullied. Has anyone else experienced this and/or can anyone offer any advice? Would love it to stop. Thank you. SF.

[Idreamofdaleks]

Ask her what she would do about this if she was a mummy

[titchy]

Maybe a nervous habit rather than wanting to actually self-harm? Like some kids chew their hair or finger nails she chews her lip? (I'm assuming she is using her teeth and not something else - if somethng else then obiously remove the offending item immediatley!) Maybe she needs some sort of comforter she can chew instead?

[SpiritualKnot]

Thank you for the help. I will ask her next time. She actually had a dummy until the age of 5, which she used constantly, stopped very suddenly when we got an aupair as she had her street cred to think about! Maybe I can give her a blanket or something? SK