Some teenagers go through adolescence with little or no difficulty; others find negative ways to cope with their feelings of depression or anxiety. In an alarming trend, more and more teens are engaging in self-injurious behavior as a way to deal with their problems. Teens who engage in self-injurious behavior harm themselves by bruising, cutting, burning, scratching and other forms of self-mutilation. If your child is acting out in this way, you should act immediately and seek professional help.
A Growing Trend
If your child is repeatedly hurting his or her own body, you’re probably confused, frightened, even angry. You are not alone. Research indicates that 1-2 million adults and teens in the US intentionally harm themselves, and these figures represent only people who have received treatment.
Self-injurious behavior can have multiple causes, many of them extremely serious. For a number of children, self-injurious behavior is a way to seek attention; for others, it is an outward sign of depression. Children say they cannot "feel" anything and hurt themselves in order to feel something, even if the feeling is pain.
In addition, children who hurt themselves often engage in other forms of at-risk behavior, including drug and alcohol abuse and sexual promiscuity.
Ending the Self-injurious Behavior Cycle
At Three Springs, we work with children who are beginning to take part in self-injurious behavior, with the goal of stopping these actions before they spiral out of control. Our programs have shown success in helping children learn why they engage in self-injurious behavior.
Once children and staff understand the root cause of the condition, positive peer culture and group process activities can help children deal with the issues that lead to self-injurious behavior.
