Self Injury / Self Harm

The act of deliberately harming one’s own body by means such as cutting or burning is referred to as self-injurious behaviour (SIB) and is used as a way of coping. Self-injurious behaviour is an attempt by a child to

• escape from feelings of numbness (some say that they injure themselves to feel something or to know that they are alive)
• draw needed attention, support, or signs of caring from others
• feel in control (e.g., control over one’s body, control over others)
• turn intense, unmanageable emotional pain into physical pain
• escape from feelings of emptiness and depression
• relieve tension

For children who believe their distress is invisible, self-harm is a way of creating physical proof of their emotional pain and of maintaining hope that it will be noticed and addressed. For others, the physical pain from self-harm can be a way to distract themselves from the emotional pain they feel. Many of these children may not have learned healthy ways of identifying and expressing overwhelming negative emotions, such as intense anger, tension, or frustration; they find temporary relief from these distressing feelings through harming themselves.

Other mental health difficulties often occur alongside SIB, and a successful approach to freeing a student from it needs to address these difficulties as well, improve coping skills and practices, and resolve the underlying distress.

Children dealing with psychosis may

• refuses to wear short sleeves or to change clothing for physical education classes
• wears long sleeves or long pants even in hot weather
• keeps sharp objects on hand
• claims to have frequent accidents or mishaps
• cuts or wounds don’t seem to heal
• often bruised
• has more than his/her share of broken bones
• spends a great deal of time alone
• voices concerns that he/she is patronized, that others do not listen