This investigation aimed to identify some of the personal & interpersonal processes involved in deliberate self-harm at a residential treatment setting for adolescents with mental health problems. The authors found that the act of self-harm created a temporary resolution from intense feelings of anger & interpersonal conflicts. They also found that adolescents competed to be genuine self-harmers (as opposed to ‘attention seekers’), which required secrecy about their behaviour & a certain level of damage when self-harming. Implications for treatment are discussed. (48 refs)