There are a few things you can look for that are common amongst teens who cause self-harm. If you observe any of the following items, you may want to do some further investigation.
- Family members telling you that they are finding sharp objects in strange locations.
- Evidence that your teenager's friends are self-mutilating.
- Teen regularly locking themselves away for long periods in their room or the bathroom.
- Loss of interest in spending time with friends.
- Stops participating in normal social activities.
- Finding sharp objects hidden in your child's room, bathroom, or vehicle (common with teen cutters).
- Wearing of long sleeve shirts and long pants, even in hot weather.
- The appearance of an abnormal or unexplainable number of injuries or scars.
Self-injury and cutting statistics estimate that one in every 200 girls between 13 and 19 years old, or one-half of one percent, cut themselves regularly. Most alarming is that this number is continuing to increase and statistics show that without treatment many of these teens will continue to self-mutilate into their adult years.
If you or a loved one are participating in self-harm in anyway it is time to get help. There are many good teen therapists and counsellors that can help a person or family recover.
