Psyched About School

Non-suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) is defined as the deliberate destruction of bodily tissue without conscious suicidal intent (Nock & Favazza, 2009). This behavior is rather complicated mental health phenomenon for people to understand because it's hard to grasp how a person could harm themselves without intent to kill. It's further complicated by the fact that we all have stereotypical images of what non-suicidal self-injury looks like. Below I will provide a brief summary of a important information that I feel all administrators, educators and mental health professionals should know about non-suicidal self-injury. A workshop called "Demystifying Non-suicidal Self-Injury" is being offered by Student Services this Fall and possibility this Spring which will go into more details concerning this behavior, prevention and intervention. Non-suicidal self-injury is becoming increasing prevalent among school-aged youth, particularly those at the secondary level. Rese...

Do you know a young person who engages in self-injury? As a school psychologist, it seems like I am hearing about cutting more frequently and with younger students each year.  With the increased stress facing kids and teenagers these days, I worry because many do not have the coping skills to deal with this pressure.  It is estimated that approximately 15% of teenagers engage in self-injurious behaviors.  These articles from kidshealth.org and WebMD.com provide warning signs, factual information, and resources for help. As parents, guardians, and educators, it is imperative that we stay informed on this topic. http://kidshealth.org/en/teens/cutting.html# http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/features/cutting-self-harm-signs-treatment

The topic of self-injury is one that not many people want to discuss.  Although it is not well understood (even some of the research is unclear), the prevalence of these behaviors is shocking (this article suggests that 12 to 24% of young people have tried it).  This article from Cornell University explains what self-injury is, who is at-risk for these behaviors, the dangers associated with self-injury, and how to detect whether someone is engaging in self-injury.  It is important to understand self-injury and what drives it so that we can help young people learn more effective coping skills. http://www.selfinjury.bctr.cornell.edu/perch/resources/what-is-self-injury-9.pdf