Staying Connected: A Newsletter for First Year Students

Students Who Self-Injure

Self-injury is an increasing issue among high school and college students—and one you may have heard more about in the news and popular media. The American Self-Harm Information Clearinghouse (ASHIC) defines self-injury as "the deliberate, direct injury of one's own body that causes tissue damage or leaves marks for more than a few minutes and that is done in order to deal with an overwhelming or distressing situation."

Self-injury is also referred to as cutting, self-mutilation, self-abuse, self-destructive behavior and parasuicidal behavior. It's an attempt to alter a mood state and to cope with overwhelming feelings. Essentially, intentionally injuring oneself is a form of self-medication. Many sufferers say it's a way to "feel" something.

Why Do Students Self-Injure?

they feel the need to punish or distract themselves from a perceived wrong

they want to feel in control of who is hurting them

they like the endorphin rush that self-injury can provide

they want to make themselves feel alive again after feeling dead inside

*According to numerous studies, 35 to 80 percent of self-injuries also suffer from an eating disorder(A Bright Red Scream: Self-Mutilation and the Language of Pain, 1998).

Yet, self-injury is not a suicide attempt. While the ASHIC reports that self-injurers are at a higher risk for committing suicide, if they intend to complete a suicide, they will often use a means different from their preferred method of self-injury.

During the next few months, you may spend more time with your student due to holiday breaks. As a result, you may notice new behaviors, including signs of self-injury. Some things to look for include ways that self-injurers wound themselves, such as:

cutting the skin with a sharp object such as a knife, razor, glass or pins

burning, biting or hair pulling

hitting their body with an object or their own fists

hitting a heavy object, like a wall, often with their own head

picking at scabs or skin until it bleeds

inserting objects into body openings

Cutting, burning and head banging are the most common forms of self-injury. These behaviors can leave both physical and emotional scars. Self-injurers often tend to hide these scars and bruises under baggy or ill-timed (i.e. long sleeves on a hot day) clothing.

And self-injury can be addictive. Self-injurers may eventually develop a tolerance to pain, making it necessary to increase the severity of the injury in order to get the desired effect.

If you're concerned that your student may be engaging in self-injurious behaviors, talk with a mental health professional in your community or on campus. Help is available to assist you in knowing what to say to your student and how to approach this problem.

From Topics in Campus Threat Prevention: Eating Disorders, Body Image & Self-Injury by Lisa Currie, PaperClip Communications (2004).

Learn More

SAFE Alternatives at www.selfinjury.com
American Self Injury Information Clearinghouse at www.selfinjury.org
Self Injury and Related Issues at www.siari.co.uk
Secret Scars: Uncovering and Understanding the Addiction of Self-Injury by V.J. Tuner (2002)
Cutting: Overcoming and Understanding Self-Mutilation by Steven Levenkron (1998)
A Bright Red Scream: Self-Mutilation and the Language of Pain by Marilee Strong (1999)