Introduction
Being an adolescent in today’s world is a challenging task, especially by today’s standards. Relationships, peer pressure, stress, self-esteem, bullying, depression, drugs, and self-image are just a few of the common issues that teens face. One issue that the youth of today are facing that is on the rise and is currently receiving a great deal of attention in mainstream culture is nonsuicidal self-injury, or self-harm. This paper explores several aspects of self-harm and nonsuicidal self-injury among the adolescent population including: the definition, diagnostic criteria, and statistics of self-harming behaviors, common causes, warning signs, and risk factors of self-harm, the link between self-harm and suicide, prevention and …show more content…
NSSI (referred to from here forward as “self-harm”) may manifest itself in various forms, such as cutting, burning, biting, carving or scratching. The most common method of self-harm is cutting, especially among the adolescent population. The Diagnostic and Statistics Manual for Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V) produced by the American Psychological Association (APA) includes a detailed section regarding the specific diagnostic criteria for self-harm:
• “Intentional self-inflicted damage to the surface of the body with expectation of physical harm, but without suicidal intent for 5 or more days within the past year;
• Person injures themself for at least one of the following reasons:
1. To seek relief from negative thoughts or feelings
2. To resolve an interpersonal difficulty, …show more content…
These skills include teaching coping skills, exploring how to appropriately identify and express emotions, and working on self-acceptance (Educator Response, 2014). School counselors should also be informed of their school’s policy regarding such behavior and the appropriate actions to take.
Conclusion
Adolescent self-harm is becoming a very prominent topic among recent research and literature. Being a teenager in today’s world is challenging and filled with many obstacles. Self-harm is on the rise and is receiving a great deal of attention in mainstream culture. It is important for anyone who works with children and adolescents to keep abreast of current information regarding this topic. It just might help impact or save a
Being an adolescent in today’s world is a challenging task, especially by today’s standards. Relationships, peer pressure, stress, self-esteem, bullying, depression, drugs, and self-image are just a few of the common issues that teens face. One issue that the youth of today are facing that is on the rise and is currently receiving a great deal of attention in mainstream culture is nonsuicidal self-injury, or self-harm. This paper explores several aspects of self-harm and nonsuicidal self-injury among the adolescent population including: the definition, diagnostic criteria, and statistics of self-harming behaviors, common causes, warning signs, and risk factors of self-harm, the link between self-harm and suicide, prevention and …show more content…
NSSI (referred to from here forward as “self-harm”) may manifest itself in various forms, such as cutting, burning, biting, carving or scratching. The most common method of self-harm is cutting, especially among the adolescent population. The Diagnostic and Statistics Manual for Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V) produced by the American Psychological Association (APA) includes a detailed section regarding the specific diagnostic criteria for self-harm:
• “Intentional self-inflicted damage to the surface of the body with expectation of physical harm, but without suicidal intent for 5 or more days within the past year;
• Person injures themself for at least one of the following reasons:
1. To seek relief from negative thoughts or feelings
2. To resolve an interpersonal difficulty, …show more content…
These skills include teaching coping skills, exploring how to appropriately identify and express emotions, and working on self-acceptance (Educator Response, 2014). School counselors should also be informed of their school’s policy regarding such behavior and the appropriate actions to take.
Conclusion
Adolescent self-harm is becoming a very prominent topic among recent research and literature. Being a teenager in today’s world is challenging and filled with many obstacles. Self-harm is on the rise and is receiving a great deal of attention in mainstream culture. It is important for anyone who works with children and adolescents to keep abreast of current information regarding this topic. It just might help impact or save a