Definition
Self-harm is defined as a deliberate and often repetitive destruction
or alteration of one’s own body tissue, without suicidal intent
(adapted from Favazza, 1987 & 1989, and Walsh & Rosen,1988).
Many terms have been used to describe this behaviour including self-harm,
self-injury,self-mutilation, self-inflicted violence, auto-aggression,
and para-suicide.
Demographics
Statistics on people who self-harm tend to be unreliable due to
the private nature of the act, and the fact that many incidents
will not reach the attention of professionals. Estimates for prevalence
rates range from 400 - 750 per 100,000 population (Kahan & Pattison,
1984;Favazza & Conterio, 1988). Some researchers report an equal
distribution among males and females with females being more likely
to seek help, or be discovered (Kahan & Pattison; Alderman,
1997), while others report that females constitute about two-thirds
of habitual self-mutilators (Favazza & Conterio, 1989). It appears
that self-harm cuts across the boundaries of race, gender, education,
sexual preference, and socioeconomic bracket (Favazza & Conterio,1989).
Self-harming behaviours typically begin in early adolescence, around
14 years of age (Favazza & Conterio, 1989), and the disorder
seems to have a peak incidence in the decade from 16-25 years of
age. In one study, seventy-one percent considered their self-harm
to be an addiction (Favazza and Conterio, 1989).
The most common practice of self-harm is skin cutting, but other
methods include burning, self-hitting, interference with wound healing,
severe skin scratching, hair pulling, and bone-breaking (Favazza
& Conterio, 1989). With cutting and burning, people will choose
places on the body that are not likely to be seen by others, or
can be easily covered up afterwards like the arms, legs, or chest
area.
Most people who self-harm report little or no pain during the act.
(Conterio & Favazza, 1986). Most know when to stop a session
of self-mutilation. After a certain amount of injury, the need is
somehow satisfied and the abuser feels calm and soothed.
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