Q. What is self-injury?

A. Self-injury is when a person deliberately hurts his or her own body. Some self-injuries can leave permanent scars, while others leave marks or bruises that eventually go away. These are some forms of self-injury: 

• Cutting yourself (i.e., using a razor blade, knife or other sharp object to cut the skin) 
• Punching yourself or other objects 
• Pulling your hair 
• Poking objects through body openings 
• Breaking your bones or bruising

Q. Why do some teens want to hurt themselves?

A. Some teens say that when they hurt themselves, they are trying to stop feeling lonely, angry, or hopeless. Some teens who hurt themselves have low self-esteem, they may feel unloved by their family and friends, and they may have an eating disorder, an alcohol or drug problem, or may have been victims of physical or sexual abuse. Teens who hurt themselves often keep their feelings "bottled up" inside and have a hard time letting their feelings show. Some teens who hurt themselves say that feeling the pain provides a sense of relief. Still others hurt themselves because they want to be part of the "in" crowd.

Q. Who are the people who hurt themselves?

A. Self-injurers come from all walks of life, regardless of their age, gender, race or ethnicity. About one in 100 people deliberately hurts himself or herself. More females than males do self-injury. Teens usually hurt themselves by cutting with sharp objects.

Q.  What are the signs of self-injury?

A. These are some signs of self-injury:

• Cuts or scars on the arms or legs 
• Hiding cuts or scars by wearing long sleeved shirts or pants, even in hot weather 
• Making poor excuses about how the injuries happened

Self-injury can be dangerous — cutting can lead to infections, scars, numbness, and even hospitalization and death. People who share tools to cut themselves are at risk of getting and spreading diseases like HIV and hepatitis. Teens who continue to hurt themselves are less likely to learn how to cope with negative feelings.

Source: Office on Women’s Health in the Department of Health and Human Services

Other resources for you and your family about self-injury:

Teen Health Center

Getting Help:  Resources in Cincinnati for Self-Injury (from Cincinnati Enquirer)