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Kids Who Cut
Recognizing the Signs of Self-Injury By Jacqueline Bodnar
Dr. Prinstein points out that this type of behavior is done in a secretive fashion, either alone or with their peers. Parents should begin by looking for cuts on their child's arms, legs or chest.
"They usually do not have a good explanation for how this occurred and may become defensive or offended at the intrusive questioning," says Dr. Boesky. Other warning signs include the child not letting scabs heal by continuously picking at them, making derogatory comments about herself, becoming very secretive and withdrawing from her family and friends. Parents should also notice if there are sharp objects in the child's room that usually don't belong, such as razors, pieces of glass or bent paperclips.
"Cutting helped me to physically get rid of all my emotions without hurting anyone else," says Tifanie Pitman, of Milton, Fla., who was 13 when she started cutting herself.
"For most youth, self-injury is related to not being able to express their thoughts and emotions in language," explains Dr. Boesky. "Instead, these youth rely on actions to express themselves." She explains that the reasons children engage in such behavior include releasing tension, depression and anxiety. Other self-injurers use it as a means of expressing anger because they feel better taking those feelings out on themselves rather than on others. Many actually enjoy the pain that they experience during the act of cutting. Some youth use cutting as a way to connect with people they care about because they know that those people will offer comfort from their injuries.
Although other reasons should be considered first, there are youth who cut themselves because they are seeking attention or looking to control those around them. Regardless of what the original reason was that a youth started cutting, many begin to like the attention that they receive from their injuries, say experts.