This project was developed with the purpose of describing the social, psychological and psychopathological characteristics of adolescents who self-harm in a sample of Colombians from different socioeconomic status during the period between February and August 2012. Fourteen adolescents between 12 and 18 years of age from three health institutions in the city of Bogota were studied. They had presented self-injurious behaviors. Their parents and the youngsters themselves agreed to participate in this study and signed informed consent and assent respectively. Based on a qualitative model of phenomenological type, depth interviews were conducted to exhaustion in 14 young people of the above described group, who presented self-aggressive events during 2012. The interviews were recorded and later on transcribed. With this material, an analysis was developed, starting with the observation of the modes of occurrence of the phenomenon, taking into account social context, particular forms of confrontation, and presence or absence of psychopathology in each one of them. The information collected was organized into three main categories: social context, psychological styles and psychopathology. Within the social context, socioeconomic status was considered, the type of family according to the structure, family relations, education, presence of harassment or victimization at school and experiences that were emotionally disturbing for each youth. The following psychological styles were considered: motivational goals, cognitive modes and interpersonal relations. Finally psychopathology was based on the clinical history of the institutions each youth attended, and also their narrative about their experience in the process of psychiatry was considered. Results found: (i) there was not a prevailing socioeconomic status; (ii) the absence of one or both parents was a common factor, as well as abuse of their peers; (iii) lack of schooling was one of the frequent findings in the youth group studied; (iv) and there was not an standard pattern of psychological style, even though self-injury appeared more common in adolescents with styles of preservation, withdrawal and introversion and to a lesser extent in those kids who were outgoing, communicative and discrepant, findings which challenge the belief that all those who injure themselves, present or will present a borderline personality pathology. In addition; (v) it was found that affective disorders were the most common diagnoses in this group of youngsters, followed by attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity, eating disorders, psychoactive substance dependence and obsessive compulsive disorder. All these findings suggest that there is not a single pathology explaining the phenomenon of self-harm in adolescents.