Non-Suicidal Self Injury

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Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) can be described in many ways, such as self-injury, self-mutilating behavior, or deliberate self-harm. It has been concluded that, “The most common forms of NSSI are pinching and scratching the skin, punching or hitting objects until marking or bleeding occurs, or cutting the skin.” (Kelly, Jorm, Kitchener, & Langlands, 2008). Repetitive NSSI can create scarring, infection or painful injury though it’s extremely rare that such wounds are lethal (Plante 2007). Variations of NSSI include carving initials or symbols into the skin, burning or branding the skin, pulling hair out of the roots, or preventing a wound to heal (Kelly et al, 2008). The occurrence and visibility of deliberate, non-suicidal self injurious behavior are increasing among adolescents and young adults, both as a result of specific known risk factors and social influence. NSSI is a growing trend among the teenage community. Some speculate this growing trend is due to the fact that self-injury, or “cutting” is becoming more prevalent in “pop” culture. You see this phenomenon depicted on the big screen in movies such as Girl, Interrupted and Thirteen. In addition, NSSI has been exploited in the media by celebrities such as Princess Diana, Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Drew Barrymore, Marilyn Manson, and Courtney Love. Many of these celebrities, whom some consider role models for teens, publicly stated they once inflicted some form of pain or self-injury on their bodies (D’Onofrio, 2007). Statistics on the incidence and prevalence of self-injury are skewed in several ways. Most recent research studies have consisted of case studies or surveys of relatively small sample sizes. This, as well as the tendency of self-injurers to underreport, may lead to numbers that do not accurately reflect the scope of those suffering from self-injure disorders. U.S.

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