The most common viewpoint I see on this subject is : Completely bad. Don't do it. Here's my viewpoint: While it is never good to harm yourself, some people do. It is not right for EVERY character you have to be one to self harm sometimes it is important to a character's story/ making them more realistic. Having a character that self harms is not recommended for those who don't know much about the topic. RESEARCH BUT DO NOT TEST IT OUT There have to be things that led that character to that point. It must also be something that the character would do keeping their personality in mind. Do not just give them self harm scars and THEN try to wiggle that into their backstory to give them flaws/ tragic backstory Self harm is a SERIOUS issue. Take it from me. I myself have self-harmed in the past and I have helped my friends who were/are self-harming. It's not an issue to be taken lightly.