The Practice of Self-Mutilation
By erdsethu
@erdsethu (165)
India
December 15, 2006 4:17am CST
A disturbing situation has emerged among teens: the practice of self-mutilation. Teenagers who self-mutilate – overwhelmingly girls – are inflicting pain and injuries on their own bodies. While it's estimated that only 1 percent of the American population self-mutilates, the emotional issues that drive them – and the physical fall-out from such practices as cutting and burning – make self-mutilation a serious problem.
There is no stereotypical person who will choose to mutilate his or her own body, but experts say it's a process that stems from the inability to deal with stress or intense emotions.
1 response
@shaggin (71681)
• United States
17 Dec 07
When you really stop and think about all the different forms of self-mutilation and not just cutting I would think that the estimate of only 1 percent is much lower then it really should be. When you really think about it as well even things like smoking could be considered self mutilating as when you smoke you are hurting your body to feel better to get that calming effect.
