DS keeps hitting himself

[backintraining]

Hi, DS is just over 16mo and has started hitting himself. It's very strange. A couple of months ago he started hitting other people, thankfully this must have been a phase as he stopped doing it (not before progressing to hitting and then kissing the person better!!) But he now slaps his own head quite hard, generally if he is being "told off". At the moment discipline consists of a more stern tone of voice, partly due to his age and understanding. We don't smack at all and there really isn't a need to shout with him. But if he is doing something he knows he shouldn't and I tell him off so to speak, he goes on to hit his own head.
Could this be phase or should I be worried about something else? Also, what do we do about it. At the moment we aren't making a big deal out of it as I don't really want to draw his attention to it any more!

They all go through that stage. DD used to slap people in the face when they picked her up and DS used to bang his head on walls/concrete!
Many children I know and I've seen, have little quirky ways about them when being told off - wringing hands, wriggling, smacking themselves etc. I bet he'll grow out of it in a couple of months but if you're at all worried, ask your GP/HV.
I took DS to the GP about the head banging as it was so hard, I was worried he'd end up in a & E and them blsming us for his injuries! At least it was on his record that he was doing it himself. He grew out of it and tbh, I think it was when his teeth were coming through and it was a release for him.

ds had a very short run of head banging. I say short to give you hope that these things sometimes don't last. FWIW I gave it very little attention (once I checked myself - it is shocking). Might have halped, might have been irrelevant

My ds who is 23 months, hits himself on the head when I tell him off, or even when I say "no hitting", after he has given someone a slap. It is very upsetting for me, because I wonder what makes him think he needs to hit himself, and how does he associate hitting with being told off?

I always say "no hitting", when he hits himself or others. Hope it stops, I hate it.

I did think initially that a little friend who he plays with regularly may have "taught" him to hit on the head, as this little boy was the first to hit my ds. (Of course I know that all kids hit at some point, so not blaming him). Often when I mentioned this boy, my ds would start hitting himself.

Anyway, am so hoping it will pass.

Thanks for the replies..... since I have mentioned this to a couple of friends, plenty of other mums have all said that their DS/DD did the same and it was a phase which passed....... aren't babies/children just plain strange at times!!