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)..
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 harming the arteries.
Numerous studies in the literature have examined aspects of self-mutilating behavior among adolescents. For example, Haines and Williams (2003) tested the hypothesis that individuals who self-mutilate have deficient skills in coping and problem-solving that leaves them vulnerable to the adoption of self-mutilating as a coping strategy. The researchers tested the hypothesis using a sample of male incarcerated self-mutilators with comparisons made to non-mutilating prisoner and non-prisoner control groups. The results indicated that individuals who self-mutilate exhibited h...