Education

Dealing With Self-Mutilation

December 03, 2003 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

TIPS FOR HELPING STUDENTS WHO CUT THEMSELVES

  • Always get in touch with a parent while the student is in the room so that each party knows exactly what is being said. That procedure helps protect the student, who is emotionally vulnerable.
  • Don’t simply tell a “cutter” to stop. Doing so dismisses the real issues underlying the behavior. The problem is not that simple, and neither is the answer.
  • Use a “No-Harm Contract” to make students accountable for their actions. It can prevent them from harming themselves in the future.
  • Keep in mind that there is no quick fix. Recovery often involves extended psychotherapy to work on raising self-esteem. Therapeutic medications are also often used to treat underlying depression.
  • Remember that even though those who self-injure are more likely to be adolescent females, the behavior can cross age, class, and gender lines. Celebrities such as the late Princess Diana and the actors Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp have all admitted to injuring themselves.

RESOURCES THAT EDUCATORS CAN USE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SELF-INJURY

Fiction

  • Cut, Patricia McCormick, Scholastic, reprint edition, 2002.
  • The Luckiest Girl in the World, Steven Levenkron, Penguin USA (paperback), 1998.

Nonfiction

  • A Bright Red Scream: Self-Mutilation and the Language of Pain, Marilee Strong, Viking Press, 1998.
  • Bodies Under Seige: Self-Mutilation and Body Modification in Culture and Society, Armando R. Favazza, Johns Hopkins University Press; 2nd edition, 1996.
  • Bodily Harm: The Breakthrough Healing Program for Self-Injurers, Karen Conterio and Wendy Lader, Ph.D., with Jennifer Kingston Bloom, Hyperion Press, 1998.
  • Scarred Soul: Understanding and Ending Self-Inflicted Violence, Tracy Alderman, Ph.D., New Harbinger Publications, 1997.

Video

  • “Self-Injury: From Suffering to Solutions,” SAFE (Self-Abuse Finally Ends) Alternatives; (800) 366-8288.

Web Sites

  • Young People and Self-Harm, from the National Children’s Bureau, London:
    www.selfharm.org.uk.

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: February 21, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: February 7, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: January 31, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: January 17, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read