What is SIB?

Most teens go through adolescence without experiencing any major traumas. Currently, teen’s most important issues are: popularity, clothes, body image, sports, homework, grades, text messaging, computer games, MySpace, self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and rejection. Most teens cope with these problems in a positive way and move on.

However, some teens do not know what to do when they become depressed, anxious, mistreated, rejected or encounter problems. Today more teens are choosing to engage in Self-Injurious Behavior as a way of dealing with their problems. According to the following research, females are significantly more likely to self-injure than males (Hawton, Rodham & Evans, 2006; Whitlock et al., 2006). However, some research suggests that males are as equally likely to self-injure as females (Klonsky, Oltmanns, & Turkeheimer, 2003; Muehlenkamp & Gutierrez, 2004). There has been a significant amount of research completed on SIB and this issue remains controversial. For example, there is research suggesting that SIB might be higher among low-income populations.

Young people have given a variety of reasons for SIB. According to the research, many individuals practice SIB because of depression, anxiety, stress/pressure, emotional numbness, and anger. Other reasons given are that it helps to express feelings, distracts oneself, provides a feeling of control over the body and mind, communicates needs, creates visible and treatable wounds, and helps to purify themselves. Regardless of why a person would engage in SIB, in reality it is a maladaptive coping mechanism and it is one that works most of the time, but will not work for a long time. Some people actually enjoy the pain.

Self-Injurious Behavior usually occurs in private and clothing can easily conceal the injuries making it very difficult to identify. Some studies have attempted to determine how prevalent or widespread SIB really is. The few studies, which have been conducted in the United States , show data for a small group of adolescents and young adults. However, recent studies of high school populations in the United States and Canada consistently show a 13% to 24% prevalence rate (Laye-Gindhu; & Schonert-Reichl, 2005; Muehlenkamp & Gutierrez, 2007; Ross & Health, 2002).