Cutting: A Teen Trend on the Rise
Cutting is an increasingly popular behavior among teens—and it doesn't mean skipping classes, anymore. Cutting, with a paper clip, scissors, pen or other sharp object on the skin, is just one of a number of self-injurious behaviors that kids use to hurt themselves.
So, why would kids purposefully cut themselves? The most common reason is control of emotions, according to Lader. “For kids experiencing intense emotions, it can be used to deaden the intensity. For those feeling a sense of numbness, it serves the opposite effect, helping them feel something,” Lader says.
And this behavior can become addictive, according to Susan Bowman, licensed counselor and author of See My Pain: Creative Strategies and Activities for Helping Young People Who Self-Injure. “When kids cut themselves, it releases endorphins and they get a high from it,” she says. “It becomes a control issue: This is the way I release the pressure.”
So, how should you react? Here's some advice from the experts:
- Communication is key. “Listen. Speak calmly, without judging, while expressing your love and concern,” Lader says. “Don’t try to offer your opinion or fix the problem. The goal is to foster open communication,”
- Ask the right questions. Bowman says parents should use “what” and “how” questions, like “What makes you want to hurt yourself?”
- Positive attention is a valuable part of the healing process. “Kids need attention when they are using positive coping skills and talking about their problems,” Bowman says.
- Consider therapy. “A therapist can help determine if the child is experiencing some underlying issue that they don’t know how to identify or talk about,” says Lader. If you aren't sure how to choose a therapist, the school counselor might be a good place to start. Bowman also advises looking for someone experienced in adolescent issues, and specifically self-injury. “A combination of therapy techniques, such as cognitive, behavioral and creative arts therapy usually works best,” Bowman says.
Self-injury is a cry for help. Kids engaging in these behaviors desperately need parents to provide understanding and a willingness to listen.
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Comments from readers
With prayer, hopefully our kids will come out of all this stronger and more able to cope with life.
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The best place to get your questions answered by other parents, teachers and experts on Education.com is our new tool, JustAsk, which you can access here:
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And @AVA, I think you may be underestimating us. I do agree that a lot of kids never really appreciate what they have until they lose it, but don't minimize the possibility of him having problems. Parents do the best that they can with their kids, but that doesn't always necessarily make them happy. I don't agree with his lying though, but you should probably investigate into why he's lying to begin with. Some people do cut and hurt themselves for attention, but thats not mainly it.
I dunno what else to say. This was what was on my mind, I guess.