Innovative Program Design for Self-Mutilating Adolescents
Self-mutilation has long been a problem for adolescents with the prevalence of this phenomenon impacting upon 75 out of 10,000 people in the general population. Individuals aged 15 to 35 have the highest prevalence of self-mutilation, with the phenomenon occurring in 1,800 out of 100,000 persons (Yip, Ngan, & Lam, 2003). There are various forms of self-mutilation or self-injurious behavior, defined by SAFE Alternatives (2003) as deliberate, repetitive, impulsive, non-lethal harming of one's body by such actions as cutting, scratching, burning, punching the self or objects, infecting oneself, bruising or breaking bones, compulsive hair pulling, and inserting objects in body openings. Such behaviors pose serious risks and are likely to be symptoms of a mental health problem that can be treated (SAFE Alternatives, 2003).
This concept paper presents a broad overview of a dissertation topic selected to fulfill the requirements for research that addresses the design of a new and original intervention program targeting adolescents aged 13-18 who have been identified as engaging in or at risk for engaging in self-mutilating and therefore dangerous behaviors. The next section of this concept paper will present a brief review of relevant literature, followed by a statement of the purpose, its significance, and a summary of the proposed research methodology.
While most forms of self-mutilation, including self-cutting are repetitive behaviors which can occur among adolescents as many as 100 times, it is generally argued that self-mutilation tends to be unaccompanied by suicidal ideation or suicide attempts (Colville, & Mok, 2003). Yip, et al (2003) pointed out that people who engage in self-cutting are the predominant group among those who self-mutilate, with a peak incidence from the ages of 16 to 25 years. The usual method is to cut lightly and superficially without ha...