[lbo-talk] self-injury epidemic

[B.]

I remember in the 1990s when the upsurge in tattooing and piercing was regarded by many -- but especially the psycho-therapy world -- as a symptom of self-hatred & low self esteem among a new generation of nihilists and slackers. Now, with pro basketball and football players and fraternity members sporting more tats than biker bar regulars, the psych. world and pop culture don't seem as eager to hold that view.  

http://groups.myspace.com/cutmepretty   <-- self-cutting group on MySpace. Guess you have to have a MySpace acct. to view the group's photos, which are not really pleasant to look at. I've known a lot of people who cut themselves, more female than male, but certainly members of both sexes. I'm wondering if the survey in the piece Doug linked to included tattooing, body modification, piercing, etc. among "self-harming" behaviors, or if those things get a pass nowadays. 

-B.

The self-injury piece Doug linked to said:

"In the survey of 2,875 students at 2 Northeastern universities — the largest U.S. study to date on how common self-injury is among college students — researchers found that about 17 percent of undergraduates and graduate students report that they have cut, burned, punched or harmed themselves in other ways. This number includes 20 percent of women and 14 percent of men."