The Prevention Researcher, Volume 17, Number 1, 2010, Item# 171

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When young people commit self-injury, it is often difficult for adults to know what to do. It is especially alarming, when one considers that an estimated 12 to 40% of adolescents have engaged in self-injurious behaviors, otherwise known as self-injury, cutting, burning, deliberate self-harm, and non-suicidal self injury. In this issue, we explore the latest research- and evidence-based knowledge in understanding and responding to adolescent self-injury.

This issue begins with an overview by Elizabeth Lloyd-Richardson, which defines self-injury, describes its prevalence, and explores teens’ motivations for engaging in this behavior. Then, because self-injury has a complex relationship with suicidal behavior, we explore the primary differences between the two in an article by Jennifer Muehlenkamp and Patrick Kerr. This article also examines the implications of these differences and what it means for the people who work with youth.

A concern amongst those who work with youth is how it is spread from one person to another. One way self-injurious behavior is spread is through the media (including movies, books, music, and the Internet). Authors Amanda Purington and Janis Whitlock explore how the media can influence the spread of self-injury and how media literacy might be used to reduce its influence.

We conclude with two articles specifically about working with youth who self-injure. First, Jessica Toste and Nancy Heath discuss how schools and school personnel can best respond to youth who self-injure. Then, Matthew Selekman, a therapist with 25 years of experience working with youth who self-injure, provides insight into his family competency-based treatment approach.

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