Nearly 19,000 children in Britain were admitted to hospital after self-harming last year in England and Wales - a rise of 14% over the past three years, according to the children's charity NSPCC.
It said the NHS figures should be a "real wake-up call" to all those who cared about young people's wellbeing.
Self-harming is one of the most common reasons for children to contact the charity's Childline service.
About 50 children a day were given counselling on the issue, it said.
Teenagers aged 13 to 17 are most likely to end up in hospital as a result of acts of self harm, which include cutting their bodies, overdosing on pills or burning themselves.
The figures, which were collected from all but six NHS Trusts in England and health boards in Wales, reveal that 18,788 under-18s were admitted to hospital or treated at accident and emergency units for self-harm in 2015-16.
This compares with 16,416 admissions for self-harm in 2013-14.
Official figures from NHS Digital show admissions for self-harm have been increasing for five years in a row.
Experts say better recording of data by hospitals may be reflected in the rise.
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