What Is Self-Harm?

Self-harm, or self-mutilation, is one of the most difficult human behaviors to understand and treat. Self harm has existed for several centuries and because of this, the definition has changed over time with research. According to Favazza and Rosenthal (1990) self-mutilation is defined as “the deliberate destruction or alteration of body tissue” (p. 77). Over time self-harm has been modified to consist of “intentional self-poisoning or self-injury, irrespective of type of motive or the extent of suicidal intent” (Hawton, Saunders, & O’Connor, 2012, p. 2373). Acts of self-harm consist of physically cutting oneself or participating in any act that causes intentional physical pain to the body (Hawton, Saunders, & O’Connor, 2012). Several different groups of people participate in this behavior including those who struggle with mental illness, those who exhibit psychotic symptoms and prisoners (Winchel & Stanley, 1991). Self mutilation is a behavior that affects many different …show more content…
According to the Winchel and Stanley (1991) article, anywhere from 2.2%-7.7% of prisoners participate in self harm. “In this setting, the carving of words, letters, or insignia on themselves appeared to carry consciously intended messages of group identification and assertion and may have been void of the impulsivity inherent to other forms of self-injurious behavior (Winchel and Stanley, 1990, 307).” People with disorders also exhibit self-mutilative tendencies, although this is the most broad category of self harmers. The Winchel and Stanley (1990) article puts an emphasis on people who struggle with borderline personality disorder. In the Gardner and Cowdry (as cited in Winchel and Stanley, 1991), self destructive behaviors performed by people with borderline personality disorder exhibited habits of cutting, burning, scratching and other self destructive behaviors similar to