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The Student Voice
Running head: INVESTIGATING AND UNDERSTANDING SELF-MUTILATION: THE STUDENT VOICE

Investigating and Understanding Self-Mutilation: The Student Voice
Journal Article Four
Abnormal Behavior (EDCG 5321)
Janette N. Gomez
At Texas A&M University-Kingsville
Dr. Karen Furgerson, Ph.D., LPC
December 1, 2008

Reference:
Moyer, M. (2005). Investigating and Understanding Self-Mutilation: The Student Voice. The Journal of professional School Counseling, 42 (5), 142-150.
Introduction:
This article focuses on a research study to explore the meanings that self-mutilating behaviors have to adolescents.
Investigating and Understanding Self-Mutilation: The Student Voice (Summary): Self-mutilation can include hitting, cutting, burning, hair-pulling, skin picking, and other behaviors. Today self mutilation is associated with a wide range of adolescents, the estimated occurrences appearing in 1% to 2% of the population. School counselors are becoming more and more concerned about self-mutilation in adolescents. Despite the apparent increase in and discussion of self-injurious behavior, little is known about the etiology, course, diagnosis, assessment, and appropriate treatment interventions associated with self-injurious behavior. The purpose of this research study was to explore the meanings that self-mutilating behaviors have to adolescents. A qualitative design was chosen for this research study because elements of this specific type of research are helpful when working with the subjective nature of human life. Six participants were recruited from surrounding school districts in a Southwestern state for this small research study. Several students learned of self-mutilation from their friends; they had asked a friend about it or had a friend recommend self-mutilation to them. Student’s cutting was used to transport them from the burdens of their lives, to stop themselves from thinking of all the problems they had. In this way as
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