Self-Injurious Behavior in Adolescents

What constitutes non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a matter of some debate, but its growing presence in mainstream and popular media as well as the growing number of anecdotal reports by physicians, therapists, and junior and senior high school counselors suggest that it may be, as some have called it, ‘‘the next teen disorder’’ [1]. Referred to in the literature and media as ‘‘self-injurious behavior,’’ ‘‘self-injury,’’ ‘‘self-harm,’’ ‘‘self-mutilation,’’ or ‘‘cutting,’’ self-injury is typically defined as the deliberate, self-inflicted destruction of body tissue without suicidal intent and for purposes not socially sanctioned [2]. Although most often not a suicidal gesture, it is statistically associated with suicide and can result in unanticipated severe harm or fatality [3,4,5].